


Seven Steps

by flippednique



Series: Locomotion [1]
Category: Kuroko no Basuke
Genre: Aomine acts as the voice of reason, Aomine goes through doubting himself, Characters are overwhelmed by the happenings, Fluff, Kise is dependent on Aomine, M/M, Set in America, Set in the future, completely fictional bru, dorks being domestic, other couples if you squint, they work things out, they're married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-26
Updated: 2015-04-01
Packaged: 2018-03-19 17:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3617973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flippednique/pseuds/flippednique
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Get your English on, it's time to charm the pants off these pregnant ladies." </p><p>Or that story where Aomine doesn't know a lot of things, but he does know that he wants a family with Kise.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Step One: Making The Decision To Adopt

**Author's Note:**

> **AN:** Hello everybody! This is being written to celebrate what little of a summer vacation I have before my NSTP-2 and Life and Works of Rizal classes start. It's a challenge to finish all seven steps before April 13~! Here's hoping I can do it! I mean, if it's actually worth a read. 
> 
>  
> 
> **Nique**

  **Part One**

There were some things in life, well a lot of things in life, that reminded him of Kise Ryouta. The sun, something that described Kise in more ways than one; from the color of his hair, to the energy he possessed, to the disposition he lived, and to the effect he had on people. He was warm and loving, the perfect cure to a dull and cold day, and yet, he could be hot and scorching and that harsh slap to reality that Daiki needed when his head got just a little too big for his shoulders.

The idea of him being an item with Kise had never occured to him up until high school, where the blond had made a slight jibe that they would probably look good together, and if genetics favored them, they would have beautiful and talented, green-haired children (at which Kazunari proclaimed Shintaro their miracle baby).

Daiki had stopped and considered. No- not the baby!Midorima comment, but at... well. He liked... boobs. He _really_ , _really, really_ **liked** boobs. He didn't know why. Satsuki had told him if he could appreciate 'two mounds of fat and glands on a certain spot Dai-chan!', then he should be able to appreciate fat anywhere else on anyone else.

At the time, a pretty face was a pretty face, and Ryouta had been an _~~extremely~~ pretty face_.

The revealed secret that Ryouta was open to such a relationship was what drew such radical thoughts. He started to notice him more, he started to notice _more of him_. He noticed how Ryouta would pause for a moment, before he burst out into a greeting, and how he'd deflate minimally when he's greetings were ignored. He noticed how his eyes lit up when close friends were nearby, and how they would go cold when overly-confident people got too close. He noticed how Ryouta would glance at someone, and look away, with a slight quirk of his lips. He noticed how Ryouta could read people.

**_How Ryouta could read him._ **

"You're staring Aominechii." That knowing smile, that gleam in his eyes. "Got something on your mind?"

Daiki a man of brevity, and without a filter to his mouth, had blurted out the simplest and most honest of things. "You."

Ryouta's eyes widened, his mouth fell open ever so slightly, and the wind went through his hair in the gentlest of ways as if straight out of a damn shoujo manga. He said something stupid, and Daiki said something equally, if not more so stupid, and the rest was history aka as awkward _just-hang-outs_ , and brief _maybe-get-togethers_ , and scary as hell _holy-shit-this-is-a-date-we're-really-doing-this-holy-fuck-what-do-I-do_ catastrophes that more often than not ended with them 'chilling', ~~(read as: cuddling),~~ because... they were dating.

* * *

Six years since then and like in every relationship blessed or cursed, they've gone through the ups and downs of life with minimal injury and their sanity (mostly) intact. Determined to be the braver of the two, Daiki had popped the question in true Daiki-fashion- with genial spontaneity.

It wasn't just an "Oh I think I wanna marry you" moment though. No. Daiki had been thinking of it for months. He'd even browsed the internet and brochure catalogues for the perfect ring (and found it). A quick look at his browser's history revealed his plans to Satsuki who had shrieked so loudly it woke Nigou, who he was taking care of while Tetsu was in America, in the other room.

Satsuki said it was important to time everything, and Daiki wanted this to go just right because he cared about Ryouta and he wanted this to be special, he wanted this to be something the blond would never forget. He left the ring in his side of the dresser, hidden underneath his basketball jerseys- the new ones and not the ones from Teiko or Touo, because Ryouta liked pulling those out sometimes, and putting them on.

He didn't bring the ring around with him, because he didn't want to propose when it wasn't right. Satsuki had set everything up; dinner and a stroll through memory lane, she even roped some of their friends to help out. The proposal would be big, would be memorable, would be flashy like Ryouta.

But he had looked so at peace, so beautiful, so happy with his flushed face and sparkling eyes as they saw each other for the first time in months, because he'd just come back from a shoot, and this was at another god forsaken country that took his lover _far away from him for so long_ , for far too long, and he had missed him _so fucking much_ that he just had to- "Marry me."

Ryouta had blinked, had stopped moving and possibly even breathing, before he nodded, and nodded, and kept nodding like a chicken possessed. "Yes. Yes. I was going to do it too but you... Yes. I don't even care anymore- Yes!"

Satsuki's efforts didn't go to waste. They enjoyed being reminded of their old days, back in middle school where Daiki hit Ryouta with a ball, the games they played, their separation after graudation, more games, more trouble, more moments, their first date, their first kiss ("Where did you get these Satsuki!"), Ryouta's selfies, Ryouta's photo magazines, and just memories.

They replayed everything at the wedding. Speeches laced with memories of how _Kise_ turned into  ** _Ryouta_ , **_Aominechii_ into _**just Daiki**_ , and how Daiki felt when they figured out it was him who held the golden spatula and the throne in the kitchen and Ryouta could burn water no matter how many times he watched Taiga cook he still had a single-handed war against the kitchen appliances. Then there was how Daiki liked fluffy comforters but Ryouta liked wool-ones, and they slept with both, but could never cuddle so they compromised. They _compromised._

~~_And a silly demonic voice inside his head told him that the marriage was a compromise too._~~

* * *

 

Daiki was a pro basketball player in the local league even at his young age , and he enjoyed what he was doing. Often times, it took him away from Ryouta's but Ryouta's job did that too. An international model who was also hellbent on becoming a pilot. Their dreams and goals could never assure them time together even though they tried so hard so coordinate their schedules. But basketball season always, always, always came up at around the same time Ryouta debuted new lines and wardrobes  

He had needed a way to keep Ryouta his, had needed something solid to rely on, had needed something that could assure him that Ryouta wouldn't leave. He'd grown attached, he'd gotten close, he'd fallen in love and he didn't want to lose that, to lose Ryouta, to lose the life they've built.

It was that scared thought that had spurred the idea of a proposal, but that scared thought had been laced with the fact that he loved Ryouta and wanted to be with him for the rest of his life that truly pushed him to do it.

Even so, though they were married, that scared thought remained, and they settled on another compromise.

Daiki had always thought cops were cool. He quit basketball and enrolled in the closest Police Force Academy and Ryouta gave up modeling. Being a pilot would have him gone sometimes but not as much as modeling would.

"We can do this." Ryouta had whispered, his head on Daiki's side of the bed, his favourite place in the world, pillowed against his shoulder, his fingers tracing idle circles on Daiki's bare stomach, his breath warm. "It's us."

Daiki responded by turning his head and pressing a kiss to the shock of blond hair resting against him and nodding. "It's us."

They were fine that way, he graduated the Academy and was a cop and Ryouta was on his internship and he could take flights already while still in flight school ("Where all the angels go to study."). He wasn't sure if it was because of how he'd had to take care of a missing baby while at work but he asked Kise another very crucial question after dinner that Saturday night while Ryouta did the dishes since he cooked.

"Do you want kids?"

Ryouta dropped a plate at the question, knocked over a glass when he turned to face Daiki, who was leaning against the counter, and squeezed the life (had it been living) out of the SpongeBob-themed sponge he had been using to clean.

"You're serious?" Ryouta had asked, seemingly breathless.

Daiki felt his cheeks flush and he ran a hand over his neck in an effort to do something. "My mom wants grandkids."

"Oh." Ryouta's eyes were brimming with joy as he read behind the lines. "You liked spending time with Saki-chan at the station didn't you?"

"I did." Daiki opened his arms for Ryouta when he came to him. "She was a good kid."

"We'll have a good kid." Ryouta kissed his shoulder.

"And if he's a bad kid?"

"We'll love him times two."

Daiki filed for an indefinite leave, and called Tetsu about a place to stay, while Ryouta booked their tickets because there was no way he was going to fly a plane Daiki was riding in, and they went to America.

* * *

"Welcome to the land of the free." Taiga greeted them as he pulled their bags into his car. "Kuroko's really glad you're doing this."

Daiki, who was holding Ryouta's hand, felt the squeeze and returned it just as tightly. "We are too."     

The drive to Taiga's house was filled with idle chatter and it was comfortable. Daiki glanced at Ryouta through the rearview mirror. The blond was looking out the window as he talked, his voice excited but tinged with nervousness.

Taiga noticed and the redhead was better with his words now. "It'll be fine you two. Kuroko knows what he's doing."

Daiki nodded. "Yeah."

"I just..." Ryouta trailed off from the backseat.

Taiga pulled over.

"We're actually doing this." The blond continued when Taiga got out of the car to get their bags.

Daiki, who had gotten his seatbelt off, got out of the car and pulled Ryouta's door open. He crouched down so he wasn't staring down at the blond and said, "Yeah, yeah we're doing this."

"I can't believe it." Ryouta shook his head.

"You better believe it." Daiki gently knocked his knuckles against Ryouta's cheek. "Get your English on, it's time to charm the pants off these pregnant ladies."

"That's the weirdest thing I'll ever hear." Ryouta chuckled, but his smile was fuller now, much more heartfelt.

Daiki was glad, he stood up properly and presesd a kiss to Ryouta's lips before Taiga called from the trunk, "Did you pack your whole damn house in this thing?"

"You've gotten weak Bakagami! The bathroom isn't in there even!" Daiki pulled away from Ryouta to help Taigaa with their stuff.

And when they were inside the house with Tetsu waiting with a set table, a stack of official looking papers to the side for later, and Sangou barking merily at them, pulling heartstrings because he looked just like Nigou (who was in Japan in Satsuki's flat), Daiki had to take a moment to breathe.

They were really doing this.

**They were getting a kid.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** I wasn't really expecting their characters to turn out this way. I'd always envisioned Kise being the strong one. I mean, they're both strong but Aomine would be more prone to snapping. But the story wrote itself this way fufufufufufufu. 
> 
> I'm still debating on whether or not they get a girl or boy. They'll get a kid of course, I'm not that cruel. But as to whether it's a girl or boy... Thoughts?
> 
>  
> 
> **Nique**


	2. Step Two: Applying For An Adoption

**Part Two**

"That was good eating." Daiki placed both his hands on his full belly as he slouched in his seat. "I don't regret it when I say I miss you man, well more you're food than you, but there wouldn't be any of your food without you so..."

"I get it jackass. Geez, with that much charm you'll have all the ladies begging you to adopt their babies." Taiga was busily retrieving what was probably dessert, and coffee, to go with it. He immediately regretted his small joke when he came back to the table to find Daiki staring at him, a gleam in his eyes that could only be hopefulness, shining so brightly it hurt to even think about saying that he was just joking.

The question was unspoken but heard. _'Do you really think so?'_

Ryouta felt a little shaken once the pleasantries were over with. He enjoyed the food (if he were any less loyal, he'd say he liked Taiga's cooking better than he did Daiki's) and the company,  but even with the presence of what looked like an egg pie and warm drinks, he could feel the seriousness of the matter at hand.

And of course this was serious, they were talking about adopting a kid.

This was someone else's ** _life._**

Ryouta didn't hold back as he tucked into his dessert, but with the many years of watching what he ate, he didn't make it through one slice before giving up with the idea of keeping up with Taiga and Daiki's dessert eating prowess. He contentedly sipped on his coffee and just waited.

Tetsuya waited too, for Taiga to start cleaning up, and for Daiki to snap himself out of his food induced stupor to clear his throat, and pull the inconspicious stack of papers from a nearby stool to the center of the table.

"First off, I just want to tell you how happy I am that you're doing this." Tetsuya's voice was professional, but genuine. It must have been what had drawn all those hopeful couples to him for his help. Hopefuly couples like Daiki and himself.

"And we're happy you're helping us Tetsu." Daiki reached a hand out, now mentally focused and more awake even with a happy tummy.

Ryouta met his hand across the table and smiled at Tetsuya, pretending his lips didn't shake. "Tetsuchii, we know the chances of us getting a kid aren't too great. I mean, who would want a gay couple when there are others perfectly... well, perfect for their kid to give to."

Daiki's hand in his twitched, and it was clear that he had a thing to say to that but Tetsuya beat him. "I'll stop you there Ryouta-kun. From here on out, we aren't allowed to think such thoughts. You're gay and that's okay because what's more important than that is you're a good person. You're a good person who will give any child a good home, a good family, and a good life. That's what these mothers look for because most of them are young, some of them are lost, and they just need even that one assurance that their child, someone they can't take care of now, someone they wish they could give that exact same life to, will be having someone like you."

Ryouta sucked in a deep breath but nodded, he understood what Tetsuya was saying.

"All in all, I'd say everything is blank. It's a clean slate for any couple, even you. Of course, I don't want to get your hopes up but I do beleive that your career as an ex-professional model and Daiki-kun's profile as an ex-basketball player could help us with our progress."

"I thought there wouldn't be any biases." Daiki grumbled. "Tetsu, we don't want anyone giving their kid to us just because they know our names, and they think they know our stories."

Ryouta leaned back in his seat and he let his thumb swiped over Daiki's palm, in a calming gesture, but he completely agreed.

"That's not what I meant." Tetsuya pulled a number of papers free from his neat stack. "You see, we can't exactly have you two adopt a child here then take him or her back to Japan."

"We don't want that." Ryouta nodded, biting his lip. "We... we actually wanted to talk about residency but, we weren't sure if we could put that off till after the adoption or if we had to handle it before."

"You guys didn't do any research on this, did you?" Taiga rose both eyebrows as he cleared the coffee cups, the only remaining dishes on the table.

"That's what Tetsu's for." Daiki grumbled.

"Right." Taiga returned to his domain, aka the kitchen.

"I'd suggest we handled it before." Tetsuya pulled out a pencil. "It gives you a more stable background, and a better character evaluation. At least you'd be in the States whilst under your regular checks. It's going to happen spontaneously, and often, and you might even be housed with a foster child first before being legible for an adoption, but that's something we can work with."

"Yeah," Daiki mumbled, thoughtful. "Does that mean we work on being permanent residents first?"

"Yes." Tetsuya nodded. "We can't have you as aliens when we apply for an adoption. That said, getting you green cards could take a while, perhaps a year or more. But as I mentioned, your high profiles and status could be an advantage to us because as far as I know neither of you have had any scandals or issues."

"No." Ryouta promised, and teasingly let a small smirk fall on his lips. "We've been very good boys."

Tetsuya rolled his eyes, but a smile graced his lips. "I think that's what we should focus on right now. Getting you guys settled."

"What do we have to do?" Daiki leaned back enough that even his chair tipped off two of its feet. "Oi! Bakagami! How'd you get Tetsu his green card?"

Taiga answered from the kitchen. "Well, I married him."

"Well we might not be able to do that." Daiki deadpanned. "For one thing that's cheating."

"The law would call it infidelity." Tetsuya chipped in, smiling.

Ryouta too was smiling. The atmosphere was better now, lighter. "So what can we do, Tetsuchii?"

"I have a few ideas." Tetsuya admitted. "For Ryouta-kun, we could probably pull enough strings to get you a Green Card and call you a special immigrant."

"Strings?" Ryouta echoed. "Does that mean... Wait, Tetsuchii, can't we keep everything strickly uh, you know..."

Tetsuya waited expectantly.

"Legal."

"We'll just try, Ryouta-kun." Tetsuya explained. "You won't be the first international figure to want to settle down."

"Yeah but I'm a model not the president." Ryouta frowned. "Can we not try that? Do you have any other options for me?"

Tetsuya shuffled his papers. "Not that I'm saying that the first option was in any way illegal, we could still go for what I had planned for Daiki-kun."

"Which is?"

"Employment. The government issues Green Cards for their preferred employees, and seeing as Daiki-kun was a professional basketball player, and now a police officer, I'm sure we can enlist you."

"Enlist?" Ryouta echoed, his voice going just a tad higher than normal. "In what? The army?"

"I don't think I can dunk people to death Tetsu." Daiki seemed like he was considering it.

"I didn't mean it that way." Tetsuya smiled. He continued to explain his plans, his ideas, his suggestions.

Ryouta was extremely glad he had Tetsuya on his side. He needed that kind of calm, that kind of surenes, to keep not just himself sane, but Daiki too...

* * *

 

Ryouta watched as Daiki barked a command for the team to fall in line. This was only his second year as Torrid Academy's basketball coach, but he had lead the last team to a championship with how he'd run things, and this year he was aiming for a two-year streak.

"You guys see this ball here." Daiki spun it on his index finger. "I want to see you get this in from the free throw line. If you miss, you get to jog fifty laps around the court, then you can try to get a shot again."

"What if we make the shot?" An overconfident first year asked, and Ryouta wondered if that's what he'd looked like back then. No wonder Kasamatsu-senpai smacked him on the head.

Daiki seemed like he intended to do the same, but the year before had already helped him harness his patience with multiple visits to his 'happy place'. "Then you don't run. But you go back to the end of the line and get another shot. We good? Good. Start."

Ryouta watched as the students reacted. Some went wide eyed, some went guwaffing as if they found Daiki's activity just too easy, and some smiled but got their game faces on ready. Ryouta knew that they were some of Daiki's former students, and they were already aware of how hard it was to shoot straight when someone was watching you as intently as Daiki did.

And Daiki did watch, just as Ryouta watched him handle these teenagers like it was his job... well, okay maybe it _was_ his job. And it was what had gotten him his Green Card. Just like Tetsuya's predictions, Daiki had been offered a Green Card when he applied for it. He went through the normal process just like everybody else. If his former status had gotten him an edge over other people, Ryouta just wanted to turn a blind eye to it.

As for him, it had taken much less time as his sister petitioned for him. In all of Tetsuya's research, it had both slipped their minds that Ryouta's eldest sister was already a permanent resident of the States because she married an American soldier. Their love story had been pretty romantic, meeting in the field. Doctor and patient. Ryouta had barely seen his sister and he'd forgotten that it was because she lived in the States.

It worked out for them in the end. Haruka was more than happy to petition on his behalf and now he was a proud owner of a Green Card, have been for three years. Of course he'd given up his job as a pilot. It was too much of a liability being in and out of the country. What if something happened and he couldn't come back?

The life they had in Japan, they came back to it every six months until they could find a way to tie all their loose ends. Their bank accounts were processed, converted, and sent courtesy of Satsuki and his other sister Yumiko. Their entire group came to Japan to pack up everything they wanted to keep with them in America and sadly, to mourn Nigou's death.

It had cost them a pretty penny, but Tetsuya was pretty firm when he said he wanted Sangou to be able to say goodbye to his Dad. The smaller dog had yipped, and whimpered, and pawed against the oak casket Taiga had had custom built for Nigou, and it was Aida's idea to have a statue of Nigou placed in Seirin's courtyard.

"Everyone should know the mascot who got us that first champhionship." She smiled weakly. "I'll have it done by the time you guys need to get back to America. I won't let you go without seeing it. That's a promise."

Ryouta felt sad, more than sad, he felt lost. Because what he was doing, what he and Daiki were doing. They were uprooting the life they built, here, Japan, their home for the last twenty-nine years of their life. They were born here, went to school here, met here, fell in love here, fought here, and they may have gotten married in Spain (at Satsuki's insistance) but they lived here. They built their lives here in the hopes of dying here, together after many years of smiles, laughs, tears and pain.

And he just watched as Daiki paid the guys who helped heave boxes of their things, boxes of their memories, boxes of their lives into a truck and to the airport. An old classmate was flying the boxes to America, "A favor from a good friend." and Ryouta just felt so unsettled, he was pale and had had trouble sleeping.

Daiki pulled him into his arms when they were in the hotel and said nothing. Ryouta all but melted, tension leaving his shoulders as long fingers stroked his scalp, calming him, reminding him that they had this. They could do this.

"It's us." Daiki whispered, but his voice cracked and it was like a cold, harsh, and cruel slap to the face.

Ryouta cursed himself and wrapped his arms around Daiki. How could he forget? He wasn't the only one taken aback by this. He wasn't doing this alone. He pressed a kiss to Daiki's lips and wiped the tears that had fallen down his dark cheeks.

Daiki was like him, shaken, and he'd hidden it way better even when they'd joked that Daiki was an open book compared to how well Ryouta hid his emotions.

He'd gotten too used to being able to fall back, to have Daiki be there for him. He hated himself, hated himself so much whenever he forgot that Daiki neede him too.

"It's us." Ryouta whispered, **_promised_** as he pressed fervent kisses to Daiki's lips, cheeks, forehead and just about anything that he could reach. They made love, sweet love as the night turned cold and they both burned.

When they came back to the States, and Daiki was deciding whether or not he should frame his jerseys, or keep them in the closet, Ryouta took a moment to appreciate how lucky he was. How lucky he was to have Daiki in his life, to have Daiki who loved him, to have Daiki- just.. _have Daiki_.

"I love you."

Daiki looked up from where he was sitting in a sea of cargo boxes. His blue eyes were wide. "Haven't heard that in a while."

"I know." Ryouta did. He really did. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay." Daiki dropped whicever jersey he was holding to the floor and opened his arms. "Come here."

Ryouta cralwed into them gratefully. "I love you."

"I know baby."

"I love you."

"I know."

"It's us."

"Yeah."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

Daiki was celebrating his thirty-first birthday a week later and Tetsuya, though still obviously down about Nigou's death, came as the bearer of good news.

"They've approved your application Daiki-kun, Ryouta-kun. They start processing next week and we just need to meet the rest of their requirements." Tetsuya sent them a list and helped them get everything on it.

* * *

 

Retrieving their criminal records, birth certificates, status papers were all simple and easy. They just had to go to the embassy and viola they had it. Ryouta wasn't sure if the last requirement counted when he was unemployed, but his friends were all too willing to give their words and vouch for their recommendation letters. Word had spread in Japan and Satsuki sent them an email warning them on an onslaught of notifications.

And they got them.

Daiki had a raised eyebrow as he read over Ryouta's shoulder at the names that popped up on his Iphone.

"Moriyama, Imayoshi, Wakamatsu- even that bastard give us a recommendation?"

Ryouta was grinning so hard his cheeks hurt but he could feel Daiki snuggling into his neck much more. "Yeah, yeah he did."

"Guess he's not that much of a bastard." Daiki mumbled.

Ryouta hummed in agreemenet and continued scrolling. "Furihata... I don't know him."

"Yeah, you do." Daiki snorted. "Tetsu's teammate, beat Rakuzan during the Winter Cup. Went against you guys even."

"I remember now." Ryouta smiled. "He was nice. Oh look, Kasamatsu-senpai sent a recommendation too. And my old professors in Flight School and Sanjou-san. Huh, I miss her. I should send her flowers."

"Don't get her roses, she hates those." Daiki was pushing his chin into Ryouta's shoulder.

Ryouta still tride to fix Daiki a shocked stare. "When did you and my agent get to know each other? What else did you talk about?"

"Oh you know, how it feels to take care of a busy body like you." Daiki licked at the shell of Ryouta's ear, startling the blond who yelped and scrambled out of Daiki's arms. "Oi! I was trying to be sexy!"

Ryouta gave his phone a glance, and the sulking Daiki another. He put the phone down. "Why try so hard when you do it so effortlessly?"

"I love you sometimes." Daiki joked and didn't resist when Ryouta lead him to the sofa, and they just laid there, Daiki's head on Ryouta's chest, his weight heavy against him but not stiffling. "Where do moments like this go?"

"I don't know." Ryouta confessed. "It's been two years but it feels just like yesterday. Everything's so hectic and I might be a little too preoccupied."

"I've got a job." Daiki grumbled. He stared up at Ryouta, his chin digging into the blond's stomach. "What's your excuse?"

"I worry too much?" Ryouta asked faintly. "Those seminars and orientation talks that Tetsuchii send me to get pretty stressful sometimes."

Daiki stared at him, contemplating his answer. "I'll take it."

"Thank you." Ryouta carded his fingers through Daiki's short blue hair. "Hey, has it sunk in yet?"

Daiki gave out a sleepy murmur.

Ryouta pushed on. "Has it sunk in yet that we're one step closer?"

"Hmm..."

"We're getting a baby soon Daiki. Really, really soon."

"Hn."

"I love you."

"... love you too."  

**They were one step closer.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** First off I'm sorry if the pacing throws you guys off, it just flowed so well while I was writing I hope it doesn't bother any of you.
> 
> Second, I hope I don't offend anyone with my hardly accurate depiction of an adoption as well as achieving a Green Card. I read some, sure, but I don't claim that the happenings in this story are legit. I'm hoping to get away with my creative license for these happenings. 
> 
> Third, I don't know WHY I DID IT BUT I KILLED NIGOU OH MEIN GOTT I AM EVIL T _____ T Just. I'm a horrible person. I'm so sorry, so very, very sorry. OTL
> 
> Fourth, well this thing is getting long but I'm still open to ideas on whether AoKise should get a boy or girl. I'm curious, what would you guys want for them? :D 
> 
> d ( ^ 7 ^ ) b Progress on this fic is looking pretty sweet! 
> 
> **Nique**


	3. Step Three: Completing An Adoption Homestudy

**Part Three**

"Ryouta, did you **not**  watch Marley&Me?" Was the first thing that came out of Daiki's mouth as he shuffled into the living room, his gym bag in its place to the left. He could hear his husband in the kitchen, and he had half the mind to get him out of there, because Lord knew how much Daiki would have to pay for all the casualties that would cause.

Instead, he focused on the more important matter, his footsteps quiet as he approached the small-ish thing lying on his spot on the couch. It was sleeping, eyes closed. It couldn't have been bigger than the length of his forearm. Daiki swallowed the forming lump in his throat and looked away. He would _not_ get attached.

He turned away completely when Ryouta came from the kitchen, tall glasses of what looked like pink smoothies in hand. A peace offering. Smart.

"Hey there." The blond greeted lamely.

Daiki stayed strong, an eyebrow arching pointedly. "Hello."

"I made you a drink." Ryouta inched one of the smoothies forward, sucking on the straw of the other. "It's good. It's watermelon."

"It's _pink_." But Daiki took it anyways. He took a sip, a long one to show Ryouta that he appreciated what he'd done and sat on the couch, on Ryouta's usually side because there was a... something sitting on his. He eyed the lack of stains on the blond's person as he settled in a nearby loveseat. "Is my kitchen still standing?"

"Rude." Ryouta stuck his tongue out and for a moment Daiki was taken years back. Back when they had just moved in, four years into their relationship, two years before they got married. Ryouta had just turned twenty. Presently, he was thirty-one and he still looked the same, still looked as breathtakingly beautiful, as captivating as he did when Daiki realized he was in love with him.

"Hey," Ryouta's voice was soft, his cheeks flushed. He was happy. "You're staring."

"It's cause I like what I'm looking at." Daiki blurted out, his own cheeks flushing. He relished the sound of Ryouta's laughter. Over the stress of filing papers again, and again, and again plus the seminars, and meeting all those people- between the two of them, Ryouta had to put more effort into what he was doing for their adoption to push through.

Daiki got them a good house with his job. Two-story, typical American, and fully furnished from bottom to top. Oak floors, cream walls, living room, dining room, bathroom, and kitchen downstairs with a two guest bedrooms upstairs plus their room that had a terrace that covered the patio below. It was big, but he was hoping to fill it soon.

In all true honesty, neither of them really needed to work, but even without Satsuki's yapping, they knew better than to rely on what life savings they had. Especially if they were going to get a kid.

It wasn't as if they couldn't handle another expense, Daiki admitted as his eyes strayed to his side. The ball of golden fluff had moved and he couldn't pretend to ignore it any longer. He looked Ryouta straight in the eye. "Marley&Me."

"It's Butterball, actually." Ryouta hummed. "Looks like him. Only our Butterball's a _her_."

"You named a girl, Butterball?" Daiki's mouth almost fell open. "You're not naming our kids."

"Hey!" Ryouta protested. "I thought we decided we'd both get three vetoes on what he or she would be named! And at least I didn't name her Marley, be thankful for that!"

"Fine." Daiki relented, they'd made that compromise way back then, after all. He stiffended when he felt something nosing his thigh. A glance down and Butterball was burrowing herself into him. "Ryouta..."

All his husband did was laugh. "Daiki what's wrong with you? You love dogs!"

"Marley&Me." Daiki snapped through gritted teeth.

Ryouta rolled his eyes lovingly. "She's barely eight weeks old. You've got a number of years before you have to go through that."

"But the baby." Daiki's eyebrows furrowed together.

"About that," Ryouta licked his lips. "I..."

"Yeah?"

"I got Butterball as a... training of sorts." Ryouta wasn't meeting his eyes. "You know how I'm the youngest, and I was a bit of an anti-social brat before I met you guys in middle school so I... I know a lot about being taken cared off, but I know little of doing the caring myself, and I just..."

"A dog and a baby are two entirely different things, you know." Daiki said.

Ryouta's cheeks flushed. "I know. It's what Taigachii said about cats and dogs."

Daiki opened his arms and Ryouta abandoned his space on the loveseat for them willingly. Daiki pressed a kiss to the blond's forehead. "He help you get this dog?"

"Mhmm." Ryouta hummed. "He said he wanted me to start small."

"I'm surrpised he didn't get you a goldfish."

"He tried." Ryouta huffed. "He _really_ did."

Daiki could feel Butterball nosing his thigh again. "Hey Ryouta..."

"Hmmm?"

"Did you feed Butterball?"

Ryouta froze in his arms and when Daiki pulled back to look at him he looked guilty. "I forgot."

"That's bad." Daiki noted, he pursed his lips. "You have to remember these things."

"Sorry." Ryouta sighed and burried his face into Daiki's chest. .

"We'll work on it." Daiki patted his leg to get him moving and move he did, to the kitchen where he probably set up most of Butterball's things.

Daiki turned to face the golden retriever puppy on the couch, now awake, standing, it's little tail wagging in anticipation, staring up at him with those golden-brown puppy dog eyes. He pulled Butterball into his arms and rubbed her head with his fingers. His lips tugged itself into a grin. "Who's a pretty girl?"

He came into the kitchen to find a puppy bowl with food waiting for them, and he set Butterball on the floor where she gorged on her kibbles.

"How'd I do?" Ryouta asked.

Daiki shrugged. "Did you measure how much food you put in that bowl?"

"One-third a cup. I did pay attention when Taigachi told me stuff."

"It'll do."

* * *

 

In a way, Butterball coming into their lives seemed like a fitting symbol on their next step, their next journey. Daiki felt just a tad guilty to see the look of sadness in Tetsu' eyes when he came to talk to them that week. Nigou would not be easy to forget.

"What's the next step?" Daiki asked as they sat down to lunch.

Tetsu swallowed his mouthful of rice, a staple they couldn't really give up and said, "Completing an adoption home study."

"And what is that exactly?"

Ryouta was the one who answered, "Basically, Tetsuchii can't do much more for us because of how closely related and biased he is, but someone else from the agency will continously contact and visit us, and check up on us and they'll do what Tetsuchii did, help us get closer to adopting a child."

Daiki blinked at his husband who shrugged.

"Those seminars helped after all." Tetsu smiled.

"Yeah..." Ryouta picked at his food. "Anyways, uh. Tetsuchii, do you know who'll handle our case study?"

"No." Tetsu admitted sadly. "I passed off your case to whoever's available and legally, I don't have a right to intervene anymore."

Daiki nodded. "Makes sense."

"Whoever it is will be here to visit sometime next week." Tetsu continued. "They like spontaneous visits. They aren't really hoping to catch you doing something that could rule you out of the system, but they really want to see you without any fronts or acts."

"I could probably get a week off work. Basketball season isn't starting yet." Daiki wondered if he could get someone to substitute for him.

The next week rolled in and he couldn't get it off. His students were starting to worry when he kept getting hit by stray balls from the various sports courts as he made his rounds. Their basketball coach/favorite PE teacher was distracted, and a very brave senior stepped up to him that day and asked, "Is everything okay Mr. Aomine? Is Mr. Kise doing okay?"

Daiki was surprised when he'd been asked, he thought he was hiding his nerves well but as usual, he sucked at it. He assured his students, in typical Daiki fashion, that he was fine by blowing his whistle and making them all run laps.

"He only made us run half of what we usually do."

"Yeah, he's definitely not okay."

Daiki came home that day to find Ryouta speaking to someone in the kitchen, and he paced himself as he entered. The voice was male, familiar but hard to place. It was a voice he couldn't put a face too.

When he entered the kitchen and saw who it was, he almost smacked himself for forgetting _that_ face.

Ryotua spotted him at the kitchen doorway first. "Daiki!"

Then their visitor noticed him too. "Aomine-kun, it's been a while."

"Uh huh." Daiki waved a hand lamely. "You're..."

"Himuro Tatsuya." Tatsuya smiled at him with a calming patience that reminded him of Tetsu and he wondered if that was what had drawn Taiga in. "It's okay that you don't remember me but I think you should keep tabs on my name now."

"Daiki," Kise was holding a pen in his hand. "Tatsuya's our case holder."

Tatsuya nodded. "I'm looking forward to helping you start a family. Let's talk."

Daiki took a seat at the kitchen island, wondering why they didn't do this somewhere more comfortable like the living room. He focred himself to focus because this was important.

Tatsuya talked about the necessary elements of their home study, what the case needed to be approved, and what they needed to get past this step. It was all easy enough to get, the elements just took time to process.

"A home study is a written report." Tatsuya stressed. "It has to be a record of your daily routines, your lifestyle, your employment, what parental experiences you may have. Do either of you have family nearby?"

"I do." Ryouta said. "My sister lives in the next state over."

"We're gonna have to contact her too." Tatsuya wrote some stuff down on a notebook. He seemed less precise and organized than Tetsu but Daiki had full faith that Tatsuya knew what he was doing and he would do all he could to help them.

He had to beleive that or he would lose the semblance of calm he was executing all the way to the time he and Ryouta said goodbye to Tatsuya at the door.

Ryouta let out a breath when Tatsuya's car left their driveway and he turned to Daiki, his bottom lip pulled into his mouth. He worried on it for a second. "I think that went well."

"I guess." Daiki was mildly aware that Butterball was somewhere near them.

"Are you all right?" Ryouta asked, cupping Daiki's cheek. "You seem... detached."

"I don't know." Daiki admitted. "I feel... I feel numb. Actually, I don't know how to feel."

"Feel happy." Ryouta gushed and cupped both of Daiki's cheeks now, pressing his lips to his. He pulled back with a small grin. "Okay, me telling you how to feel is stupid. But... You're just overwhelmed. That's how I felt when we were in Japan. All the shock and stress is finally getting to you."

"I think I need to lie down." Was all Daiki had to say to that.

Ryouta nodded. "Okay, we'll go watch something. Feel like cheering on Ralph when he wrecks stuff?"

"Anything's fine as long as it's not Frozen." Daiki huffed.

"But Butterball adores Elsa!"

* * *

 

The days passed and Daiki managed to curb his shock. He wasn't sure why it had taken so long or why he was shocked at all, maybe shock was the wrong word but he was doing better. He was a little more ready, a little more relaxed, a little less scared.

It had taken him a few weeks that bled into three whole months to come to terms with his true feelings, and it was only late at night when he had a six o'clock meeting to get to the next day, that he turned in their bed, squirmed and placed himself into Ryouta's arms, startling the sleeping blond into nearly swallowing his tongue, that Daiki admitted it.

"Seeing Tatsuya that day... made it more real. Made it more in the now. We're three steps closer to getting a kid and I'm... scared."

Ryouta said nothing.

"I'm scared that I'm gonna screw up. I'm a basketball player, I'm a cop. I don't know how to change a diaper or how much milk goes in a formula. What if I _drop_ the kid? What if I go out with him on a morning jog and I _forget_ that I have him with me? What if I screw up so bad I screw it up? I don't want that to happen Ryou- I just. I want to be a good dad."

Ryouta pressed expert fingers into his tensed shoulders and he relaxed a little, if at all. "Oh baby. That's not gonna happen."

Daiki made a protesting sound he'd forever deny he did.

"No, listen to me." Ryouta's voice was levelled, calm. "We're gonna screw up, both of us, but you won't forget the baby if you take him or her out with you, okay? I highly doubt it. And you're gonna be an amazing dad! A _basketball player_ , a _cop_. What kid would be so lucky- he gets to say 'My dad's more awesomer cause he plays ball and catches the bad guys!'"

"And he's gonna say his other dad's a model and a pilot."

"Mhm. And if we get a girl, then she's going to be so lucky because only the right guy will get to have her heart cause you'll be there to beat all the other assholes to pieces if they dare to try to hurt her." Ryouta inhaled slightly, catching his breath. "Do you know what I think's going to make our kid special? Do you know what I think we can give to whoever it is we end up sharing our lives with the most? Love, Daiki. You've loved me and still love me for all my faults and my craziness. I don't know how I ended up being so lucky."

Daiki snuggled closer into Ryouta's arms and the blond let him, in his moment of weakness.

"You are a good man Aomine Daiki, I could even call you a great man. But you're going to be an  _ **amazing**_  father. Don't doubt yourself, please baby. It hurts to listen to you tell me how small you think you are." Ryouta's voice changed, a higher teasing tone. "Whatever happened to, _'the only one who can beat me is me?'"_

"I don't sound like that." Daiki groused, his voice thick with emotion and tears. He pulled away from Ryouta only to press his lips to his, pouring himself, his heart, his thanks into that kiss. "I love you. Thank you. I love you."

* * *

 

The next time Tatsuya visited (about four months into their home study and Butterball's sixth month of existence), he commented on Daiki's loose and more relaxed behaviour. They had an open forum, a session with their friends- the closest thing they were getting to family- where Daiki confessed his fears, his nerves and even Ryouta admitted that he felt sometimes that he wasn't ready.

"But I want this." Daiki murmured, his hand gripping Ryouta's steadily. He squeezed and his husband squeezed back. "I want this, I want this with you."

Tatsuya, who had stopped scribbling stuff in his notebook was looking at them thoughtfully. "You know, Atsushi told me that you were a character known for  being mysterious. It's a big step what you did just now, telling us how you truly feel."

Daiki nodded, not saying anything.

Tatsuya turned to Ryouta. "Did you get the final bank statements I asked for last time?"

"Hmm?" Ryouta blinked. "Oh. Oh I did! I was going to fax them to you but it must have slipped my mind."

"Good." Tatsuya closed his notebook. "Let me be the first to say that our home study is done. I'll submit my report this week and we'll get back to you. Let me be the first to say, Congratulations!"

Tatsuya began packing his things up, chuckling when the first to recover was Taiga and Tetsu, the former clapping Daiki on the back, snapping him out of his stupor. He was staring at Tetsu and Tatsuya as they conversed, momentarily blind to Taiga and Ryouta speaking animatedly beside him.

"You surprised them." Tetsu smiled softly.

"They shouldn't really be. They have stellar records." Tatsuya chuckled. "And they're highly recommended what with your approval."

"Did Murasakibara-kun influence your decision after all?"

Tatsuya's visible eye narrowed. "You talk too much, but no, his griping didn't affect my decision to pass them. They got this all their own. They may think they aren't, but I know they're ready."

Daiki's focus was torn away from them when he found himself with an armful of Ryouta, lips pressing to his and a happy laugh in his wake. "Taigachii and I are going to run to the grocery store really quick. He says he's gonna make a big dinner to celebrate!"

"You can help too Ahomine." Taiga grinned from the front door, keys in hand. "Or keep Ryouta busy cause we never know just what mayhem he'll cause."

"Just for that I'm picking what we have for dessert!" the blond huffed good naturedly.

"Please don't get anything with peanuts in them, Tatsuya-kun's allergic." Tetsu called.

Taiga nodded. "I know that Kuroko."

"Actually I can't stay." Tatsuya stood. "I need to... talk to a certain someone. It's about time I cleared some stuff up."

Daiki watched as Tatsuya walked past him, pausing to shake his hand in a very business like manner. "Pleasure working with you Daiki. We should hang out more as friends."

"Yeah, yeah we should." Daiki nodded.

It wasn't until Tatsuya had been gone for an hour, Taiga and Ryouta were arguing in the kitchen with Butterball barking happily, that Daiki turned to Tetsu who knew next to nothing about what to do in the kitchen.

"Tetsu... our home study's been approved."

"Technically it isn't official yet but, yes." Tetsu smiled. "It's been approved."

Daiki felt everything sink in properly, he was still scared. But as he watched as Ryouta set the table, smiling, happy. He knew he could do this, they could do this.

Taiga was preoccupied with not choking and Tetsu was patting his back calmly when Ryouta reached for his hand and kissed him softly. "You okay?"

"Yeah." Daiki nodded, then said more confidently. "Yeah, I'm okay. Still... scared but, this is us."

Ryouta beamed and nodded right back. "This is us."

**_And they were halfway there._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** These things are getting longer and I'm glad! XD Aomine in this chapter though. POOR BBY! 3
> 
> I was thinking of a way for Kise to get that responsibility!training he needed and Marley&Me was playing and thought "Why not give him a dog?" 
> 
> And now we have Butterball, but she won't appear too often I think. She'll play a huge part of AoKise's kids life though XD They'll be best friends~! 
> 
> I'm actually churning these chapters really well. I guess since I don't have anything to do atm this challenge will end really quickly. ~~I should work on my other fics OTL~~
> 
>  
> 
> **Nique**


	4. Step Four: Getting Approved To Adopt

**Part Four**

"Wait a minute, I'm confused." Daiki threw the basketball and scored a three, but he had an eyebrow arched and a frown tugging on his lips. "I thought we were already approved for an adoption?"

Ryouta took a moment to admire such an expression on his husband's face, as he stretched his body to reach for his toes. "We are. It's just that we haven't be officially appointed a license, that's what we needed Tatsuya for. He's vouching for us to get licensed."

"We needed a ** _license_**." Daiki mumbled, more to himself probably, but Ryouta still heard it, and he fought to keep a laugh from bubbling out of his lips. Even at the age of thirty-two, he still found Daiki completely childish at times. He focused on his stretches because he wanted to start playing basketball, and he didn't want to listen to Daiki gripe at him for taking too long ("Not all of us get to play sports on a regular basis!").

Once he was done, he got up and took a moment to simply watch Daiki play basketball. Over everything they've been doing with the adoption, and the seminars, and Daiki's job they haven't really been... well, they were doing stuff but it felt more like a couple of weeks and not four whole years.

Four whole years. They were twenty-nine when they decided to move to America, though it hadn't initially been a permanent move. It did become permanent though two years after. The road to the end is riddled with bumps and cracks. You just have to perserve and move forward.

Ryouta wondered who he'd heard or maybe read that from when the strangest thing happened.

Something hit his head. Something hit his head **_hard_**. The sensation was familiar, and since he could see Daiki in front of him, he was sure it wasn't him who threw the basketball.

Ryouta turned around, slowly, unsure, excited and he broke into a run. "Senpai!"

Yukio was frowning, but really he was grinning inside, and his eyebrows were furrowed. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he didn't move to dodge Ryouta's hug. "Geez, you act more like a twelve year old than my niece does."

"I can't help it!" Ryouta laughed, slipping into Japanese. "You're here! In America! What are you doing here?"

"It's a long story." Yukio shrugged the jacket he was wearing off and grabbed the ball he'd just used to greet Ryouta. He dribbled slightly, smirking at Daiki then at Ryouta. "First, let's play some basketball."

Ryouta was thrilled to have his former captain play with him, so much that he wasn't bothered when Daiki managed to beat both of them, even when they were already teaming up against him. Sweaty, flushed, and happy, Ryouta sipped at his water bottle and tried to catch his breath.

Daiki had handed his own water bottle to Yukio, who didn't seem to have one, and stole Ryouta's still half full bottle instead. He finished it in a gulp and moved to compose himself. "You're a long way from home, sir."

Yukio smirked at the title and shrugged his broad shoulders. "I'm not here alone. Let's grab something to eat. Airplane food isn't really that filling."

"There's a Burger King nearby." Daiki fished his keys out of his bag and grabbed it and Ryouta's before he lead the way to the car, leaving a few meters between him and the ex-Kaijo players.

"He still calls me sir." Yukio said once Daiki was a few feet away.

Ryouta grinned. "Well he can't exactly call you Yukio, and he can't call you captain."

"Brat still has his manners though." Was all Yukio said.

Ryouta couldn't help but think of how hard, Yukio had made it for Daiki, when his husband had started courting him in high school. His captain had _forbidden_ Daiki from interrupting their practices, and games were played with the mindset of them being practically _strangers._ When Ryouta had tests, Daiki was not to distract him, and when Ryouta had a particularly long and tiring photoshoot, Daiki was not to be a nuisance.

All in all, Yukio had become a pseudo!father, since Daiki had no problems charming Ryouta's actual parents, and Daiki had begrudingly respected his captain for caring so much about his ace player.

Once in the car, Yukio spoke to Daiki and asked how he was doing. The converastion was more or less civil but also comfortable. They settled in that feeling that they used to have back in high school where Daiki was cordial and he answered whatever questions he was asked because it wouldn't do to offend Yukio.

Daiki thanked him for the recommendation letter and Yukio simply turned his head and told him not to think about it.

They got to Burger King, placed their orders, and Ryouta noticed only then how Yukio kept checking his phone. He dunked his fries in ketchup. "Who are you texting senpai?"

"Nobody." Yukio snapped his flip phone closed. "Just... I told you I didn't come alone. But that can wait. How's everything with the adoption going?"

"We're about to get our license." Ryouta readily shared. "Once we get that, we can finally enlist our names in the roster. Then it's just the matter of waiting for someone to like us enough that they'll pick us as candidates."

"You nervous?" Yukio asked, more Daiki than him.

Daiki shrugged. "What's not to like?"

"He's nervous." Ryouta chuckled. "I am too."

"He has a point though, what's not to like?"

Ryouta almost dropped his milkshake as he debated on whether or not he was going to stand and hug a familiar face or laugh at Daiki's expression of shock, shoulders raised like the startled hackles of a dog whose tail had gotten stepped on.

"There you are Shuoichi." Yukio scooted down the sofa-seat.

"It took a little longer than I expected, but yes. Here I am." Shuoichi pushed his glasses up his nose. "How are you two?"

Daiki was staring. "Am I dreaming?"

Ryouta elbowed him. "Good. Great. Well, surprised, I guess, but... this is a happy surprise. Should I be expecting other people to start showing up?"

"Not here." Shuoichi smiled. "Did Yukio tell you why he's here yet?"

"Thought I'd show them." Yukio mumbled. "It'll be easier."

"Good idea." Shuoichi stole fries from Daiki's plate. "Finish your food so we can go."

"I think I'm done." Daiki pushed his tray away. His eyebrows were furrowed again, his lips pursed. "I wanna know what's going on."

"Let's go then." Shuoichi stood.

Ryouta's eyes widened and he tried to get one lat bite out of his burger before he followed after them, Yukio trailing after.

Shuoichi stole the keys from Daiki and insisted he did the driving ("You don't even have a license!") since the latter wouldn't know where they were going anyways. Daiki sat shotgun though, and Ryouta and Yukio shared the backseat.

"Where are we going?" Daiki asked.

"You'll know when we get there." Shuoichi promised.

The drive didn't take long, especially while idle chatter continued in the car. Ryouta's curiosity was about to get the better of him but through the years he'd learned to become patient. If his senpai wanted him to see first then he would see first. A look at Daiki and Ryouta knew he was being patient too.

Shuoichi parked in an underground zone. He tossed the keys back to Daiki promising not to steal them again. The building they entered, Ryouta wasn't quite sure since they entered from the back was, "A hospital?"

"Right." Shuoichi smiled. "We're here to visit someone."

Daiki and Ryouta exchanged looks. Almost instinctively, their hands met as they walked through the halls, following Yukio and Shuoichi.

"Who do you think it is?" Ryouta murmured when they turned a corner.

Daiki squeezed his hand. "Don't know. I'm sure it's not that bad."

"I don't even know who else is in America apart from us." Ryouta rambled. He began to think of old team members, and old classmates. Worry gnawing on his mind. "I hope it isn't serious."

"They look all right." Daiki mumbled and pressed a kiss to Ryouta's cheek. "You're worrying too much."

"Right..." Ryouta trailed off. His eyebrows pulled together to meet in the middle of his forehead when he heard a set of voices, muffled but loud, somewhere nearby. Tension caught him when Shuoichi and Yukio moved faster ahead of them.

His feet felt like lead but Daiki pulled him along in a sedate pace. The door to the room that Souichi and Yukio entered was left open and Ryouta felt his world drop at what was inside.

"Shin-chan, just calm down!" Kazunari was standing with his back to the door, partially hiding whoever it was on the bed.

Shintarou was standing on the other side of the bed, in a doctor's coat. He was glaring at Kazunari and Ryouta couldn't see but he was sure that the shorter man was glaring right back.

There was a boy that looked awfully similar to Shouichi standing next to the bed, on Kazunari's side and he looked scared.

Shintarou noticed them first, and his pale skin flushed at an audience. The tense atmosphere in the room was still there, but it lessened slightly when Shouichi started explaining how they 'bumped' into Ryouta and Daiki while looking around the neighborhood.

Shintarou excused himself once he shook hands with Daiki and Ryouta, and once he was gone the boy from before relaxed some more. Ryouta pegged him, eighteen maybe nineteen years old.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on." Daiki asked, though it was clearly not a request.

Kazunari gave out a tired sigh. "So they found you guys, that's good cause I don't know how to handle Shin-chan's temper anymore."

"Midorima's out for blood." Daiki agreed. "Wanna tell me why?"

"It's my fault..." A soft voice choked from the bed. Ryouta blinkde when Kazunari moved out of the way. He had to fight the gasp that threatened to escape his mouth.

Daiki's grip on his hand faltered.

"Hey there nii-sans! It's been a while."

* * *

 

Ryouta remembered Shintarou's little sister, Megumi was a playful spirit that liked to barge into Shintarou's room whenever they were just hanging out. He'd imagined her sometimes, when he got messages from Shintarou. She was a bright kid, gifted, talented.

He did not expect this at all.

"You might see why he's a bit mad at me..." Megumi stroked her large stomach then patted it. "He's a bit mad at us."

"He won't listen." Kazunari muttered as he moved to stand on the other side of the room, pulling Megumi's blanket over her stomach.

Ryouta was finding it hard to reign it all in. "You're..."

"Pregnant." Megumi smiled, though her eyes were watery. "It took me a while to get used to it too. The shock will wear off sooner or later."

Daiki's voice broke through his stupor. "And Imayoshi's here cause..."

"Kyosuke over there's my brother." Shuoichi added.

"I didn't know you had a brother." Daiki mumbled. "He looks like you."

There was talking, a lot of talking, but all Ryouta could focus on was that numbing feeling. He didn't have any younger siblings of his own, and maybe Megumi would be the closest thing to that. Maybe that's why it was so hard.

He felt his eyes burn, his tongue hurting from how he bit on it to keep himself quiet. Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him out of the room. Whoever it was kept walking, Ryouta couldn't see past the bluriness of his tears.

A door shut, and Ryouta found himself in an office.

"Go for it."

"Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god. She's only eighteen. She's only eighteen if I'm counting it right because she's, what? Thirteen years younger than Midorimachii? Right? But- oh my god!" Ryouta found it hard to breathe. He was affected by this, of course he was affected by this. How could this happen. How could Megumi let this happen?

Kazunari was sitting in a chair, his arms crossed over his chest. He was smiling, but it wasn't a happy smile. Ryouta fell into a visitor's chair and just tried to focus on getting air into his lungs. It wouldn't do to pass out now.

"That was my reaction too you know." Kazunari whispered. "I couldn't believe that this happened to her. She's such a sweet girl. But neither of them wanted this to happen, meant for it to happen and getting angry will only make them feel worse. You should have seen how scared Megumi was when she told me, and that became twice as bad when I told her that she had to tell Shin-chan."

Ryouta felt his tongue heavy in his throat. He wanted to protest, he wanted to go back into that room and just ask them why? Why?

Kazunari's head was hanging off of the chair's backrest. "She was just... so afraid of disappointing her big brother. Imagine, Midorima Shintarou. A graduate of Hokkaido Medical University in the field of Surgery. He's a Cardio specialist to boot. How do you not fall short at that? He travels between America and Japan because he can and it's practically a demand."

Ryouta listened. He listened as Kazunari explained what had happened, how it was a party and Megumi had gotten home late and she got a message from Shintarou how he was coming home for the reunion and how she felt small, so small, that she just lost it. Kyosuke and she have been dating for three years now and they were planning to keep going steady even in college but this happened.

"And Shin-chan's just so angry and I wanna calm him down but I also want him to be angry because he has every right to be." Kazunari laughed, it sounded hollow. "He broke up with me."

Ryouta finally found his voice. "What?"

"He broke up with me because he says I'm condoning wrong behaviour but I'm not." Kazunari shook his head. "I'm not saying what she did wasn't wrong. I'm not saying that what they did wasn't one of the stupidest of blunders in the history of mistakes."

Tears fell down pale cheeks and Ryouta felt his heart clench tight in his chest.

"All I'm saying is, is that they're young. They're young, stupid, and afraid." Kazunari's voice trembled. "We all make mistakes. Him breaking up with me is a mistake and I asked Yukio-senpai and Shuoichi to find you b-because I know he'll listen to you."

Ryouta's eyes widened. "Me?"

"He really does." Kazunari wiped at his tears, laughing slightly. "You have that... attitude about you, he says. It reminds him of his mother."

Ryouta shook his head. "Where is he?"

"Probably in the trauma area." Kazunari mumbled. "Treating patients calms him down. Maybe that's why he stuck with me for so long. I'm crazy enough to stay with him so I'm the equivalent of a mental patient, right?"

"Hush." Ryouta frowned. "I'll... I'll see what I can do."

"Please."

And Ryouta walked, almost on autopilot. He couldn't remember a moment of his life that Shintarou didn't push him away. But he did remember how Shintarou would let him lean against him, and just be quiet. It happened sometimes when he'd had a fight with Daiki back in high school.

* * *

 

The trauma ward was empty, it was a slow day which was a good day for everybody. Everybody but Shintarou who was applying sutures on a banana in one of the more secluded sections.

"What's the patient's status?" Ryouta opted to go for a joke, make things light as much as he can. He settled on a bed beside Shinatrou's stool and his small table with the banana halfway sewn.

The ex-Shuutoku player was staring down at the butchered fruit, his hands had stopped sewing. "You can't sit there. Only patients sit there."

Ryouta pursed his lips and made himself comfortable, kicking off his shoes and lying down. "I'm your patient then."

Shinatrou let out a heavy sigh. "What's wrong?"

"I'm feeling numb." Ryouta responded. He knew what he was supposed to tell doctors when he was in this exact same position but he wasn't sure what he wanted to tell _this_ particular doctor.

"Any idea why?" Shintarou asked, though he still wasn't facing him.

"I just learned two friends of mine, who've been in love for a very long time have broken up."

"It happens." Shintarou interjected. "People change. People... turn out to not be who you thought they were."

"And misunderstandings happen." Ryouta said. He leaned forward and grabbed Shintarou's gloved hand, being careful of the needle. "Did you even try to talk it out with Kazunari?"

There were tears in Shintarou's eyes. "I... don't know how he's doing this. How can he be so calm? She's practically his own sister and he just... supports them. I want to do that. But I can't do that. She's only eighteen!"

And Ryouta realized that that was where the problem was and he let Shintarou speak. As a person, Shintarou was very secretive of what he was feeling. It wasn't until he met Kazunari that he learned to vent. But since they were on two opposite sides at the moment, he's kept everything bottled up and that just wasn't healthy, or doing anybody any favors.

"You need to tell him all of this." Ryouta told him. "I know it's hard but you can't let him think you can't talk to him about this."

"But I can't." Shintarou said.

"You're word isn't absolute." Ryouta joked.

There was a hint of smile there.

"Go on Midorimachii." Ryouta prompted. "He's in your... office I guess. He sent me to find you."

"How is he?" Shintarou asked.

"Go find out." Ryouta stuck his tongue out.

Shintarou stood, and lingered a moment. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Ryouta nodded and watched as he went out. He stayed where he was, seated on the bed just wondering how that all happened.

"You handled that well."

Ryouta smiled wryly and shook his head. "I don't think I did. Hi."

Daiki rolled his eyes. "I was watching, and I say you did. Hi."

"What happened?" Ryouta scooted over and Daiki looked at him for a moment before joining him on the bed, letting Ryouta tuck his head into the grove of his neck. Ryouta was thankful.

"I should be asking you that." Daiki said. "You looked like you were about to start screaming before Takao pulled you out of that room."

"I think I was. Maybe I was. I don't know." Ryouta murmured. "It's just... It's Megumi."

"I know. Almost socked the guy if he wasn't Shouichi's brother." Daiki chuckled.

Ryouta smiled. It was better than crying or getting frustrated and mad.

"Tetsu knows that they're here though." Daiki started shuffling for something. "He brought this with him after I texted him that we were here."

Ryouta's eyes widened. "Is that it? We're licensed?"

"Yup." Daiki nodded. "Licensed to adopt. Not as catchy as _licensed to kill,_ but at least this one won't send me to jail."

"I almost forgot that this was coming soon." Ryouta smiled slightly. "Ne, Daiki?"

"Yeah?"

"How much do you want our baby to be a girl?" Ryouta bit on his lip. "Because I don't think I can handle it, if something like this happens to our kid."

"We can get a boy if you want Ryouta." Daiki responded, not missing a beat. "As long as we're all happy."

Ryouta struggled to sit up when Daiki wouldn't let him. In the end, he could only pull himself enough so that he was meeting Daiki's gaze. "You're not just saying that?"

Daiki's cheeks flushed. "No. I... I kind of thought what it would be like, if that was Satsuki in there, eighteen and pregnant. I wanted to pull a Murasakibara."

Ryouta laughed.

**_Licensed to adopt. Three more steps to go._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** I didn't notice how much I was writing in this. There's definitely going to be a bunch of spin offs once I'm done with SS. One for KagaKuro, one for MuraHimu, and one for MidoTaka. 
> 
> I never realized how much fun I could have writing MidoTaka. This chapter seems a bit filler-ish but I'm working on setting things up. We only have three more chapters to go plus maybe an epilogue!
> 
> Also, derp, if you guys haven't noticed yet as AoKise goes through this little journey of theirs another pairing comes with them in each chapter. Any guesses on who the next/last pairing will be? :D
> 
>  
> 
> **Nique**


	5. Part Five: Being Matched With A Child

**Part Five**

Daiki chewed thoughtfully on a mouthful of cake, before stabbing his fork in another, totally different slice. He wasn't sure if he was going to regret binge eating on sweets, but when they were free, and all from Atsushi, who had flourished in the culinary aspect, he wasn't about to decline.

The room was a sea of papers, pictures, plates, and people. They were positioned just about anywhere that they felt comfortable, and a laptop was set up, facing them with a call conncected all the way to Japan.

Satsuki made a thoughtful sound. "#38 sounds like she needs to take care of herself better."

"What? Why?" Ryouta's glasses slipped down his nose as he scrambled around for the file just so he and Satsuki could see eye to eye. Tetsu helpfully surrendered it, not putting up a fight as he was really just browsing them, pointing things out to Taiga that helped the redhead understand his job better.

Tatsuya was in a loveseat, closest to the incoming cakes because Rima had demanded, not requested that she get first taste of all the cakes that Atsushi was making. Her black hair had been pulled back into a ponytail, short and puffy on top of her head. It was getting longer now.

"Muro-chin's here to take care of it now."

Daiki wondered when that had happened, but it was relatively new and he wasn't sure if he should say anything. They'd been invited for a taste test of sorts, because apparently, Shintarou had proposed to Kazunari, and the first thing Atsushi decided was that if he was going to attend a wedding and there would be cake then he would be making it.

Taiga was there because if Atsushi was doing sweets, he'd have to coordinate with him since he was taking care of food.

Daiki shook his head, a smile tugging on his lips. Since when did their circles run so small that they only ever relied on each other? He looked across the room at Ryouta who had pulled his own blonde locks in a small ponytail, pinning his bangs out of the way.

Apart from the cake tasting, Tatsuya had called them over for a very important and honestly, and we're talking no-more-skeletons-in-the-back-of-the-damn-closet-honest-please, it was the most exciting and terrifying part of the process.

Besides being able to take home a child, there was choosing a child. Tatsuya had probably killed the equivalent of a rain forest (bless those trees) to get all the files on his desktop onto paper for easy viewing. Ink wasn't cheap either.

There was light commentary as they looked through the files, Taiga often pointing out certain qualities about some of the kids that they saw while Tetsu browsed them in silence, not judging just looking. Daiki noticed Tatsuya and his husband doing that too and he wondered if there was some secret code for the people who attended seminars.

It probably sounded something like, 'Each child is special, different, and just a child." or "See with the heart not the eyes" bullshit.

"Don't curse." Satsuki's voice interrupted.

"You guys should probably not get a teenager." Taiga adviced.

"I don't think I want a teen either." Ryouta mumbled. He glanced at Daiki and flashed him a small smile.

Daiki returned it before attacking the cake he'd abandoned. This slice was way better than the other one. It tasted like coffee, probably a coffee cake go figure.

This process of viewing and reviewing children's profiles made a few things clear to Daiki. For one thing, they weren't necessarily adopting a child straight out of the womb. According to Tatsuya, that took longer and they would need more training and experience. Ryouta had said something about having already waited for four years, he wasn't really bothered with waiting some more. If his husband had left it at that, maybe they would be getting a baby, but Ryouta had to look at him with those eyes that knew him only too well and he remembered their conversation, remembered what the blond had told Shintarou in the hospital too. About... feelings. And saying stuff. Sharing things.

Daiki ducked his head, his cheeks flushing. "I... maybe want a kid that's a little grown up. Not too much though, maybe a two year old? No wait, that age is bad right? Three year old."

At which point Ryouta laughed and pressed an indulgent kiss to his lips. "Okay, we'll try to get a three year old."

Apart from age there was also their religion. Neither he nor Ryouta were Catholics. He wasn't sure if he had the heart to take that away from a kid, if to say they adopted someone who was at the mindset to have built a spiritual personality. He was sort of hoping they wouldn't get someone above six but he wasn't completely voting them off.

"You can't close too many doors on these children," Tatsuya explained as he tried to keep Rima from crumpling the files within her reach. "but you should set your limits. You have to know what you can and can't handle otherwise he or she might become miserable and no one wants that.."

Daiki felt just a tad bit guilty when he noticed the kid in his current file, thirteen it said, and he subtly pushed it towards Taiga and Tetsu to peruse. He really didn't want a teen, and he was sure that as smooth as he wished he was, somebody would notice and comment.

Atsuhi, who was basically coming and going from the kitchen to the living room with plates of desserts, was on a trip- cookies this time for the souveneirs and for once, the purple giant was oddly observant. "Mine-chin, why didn't you look at that?"

Then all eyes were on him.

Daiki would have cursed Atsushi (knowing that Tatsuya was in the room was an assurance that he wouldn't get too hurt) but Rima was in the room too and four year olds picked stuff up really quickly even when she was grabbing for the plates in Atsushi's hands.

Taiga, who had the file closest to him, picked it up. "Blonde, blue eyes. Looks like he's interested in sports. What's wrong?"

Tetsu looked over his shoulder and glanced at Daiki with knowing eyes. "He's too old?"

"He's thirteen." Daiki shrugged. He looked at Ryouta who was looking at him too. "If we're going to adopt someone I wan't to actually... be there while he or she grows up. Otherwise, what's the point?"

And wasn't that the truth? He wanted to raise the kid that he and Ryouta would end up being lucky to have. He didn't want to just give someone a home. Because while yes, that was what a good samaritan would do, that wasn't what he wanted.

What he wanted was a family, a family with Ryouta and while he was steeling himself for all the teenage-rebellion phases, and puberty, and girls or boys or both, he was also hoping for small pitter patter of feet on their hardwood floors, trilling giggles as he tries to sleep in during the weekends.

He wanted to make memories, and from across the room Ryouta ate his cookies and drank his ice tea with a calm look. A look that said, 'I want that too.'

An hour or so into the viewing process, Atsushi had stopped baking and joined them after he served them some flan and dug into his own delectable creations himself. The moment the ex-Yosen player settled down, Rima had abandoned Tatsuya's lap in favor of his. She snuggled into him, pressing her head into his chest, content.

Daiki felt a pang of jealousy go through him and he couldn't wait, he couldn't fucking wait for him to be able to do that.

Tatsuya took advantage of his now childless state and picked up his pen and notebook. "Have we got any favorites?"

"I know I do." Ryouta mumbled then he winced. "That sounded mean. Uh, I have some that I like?"

Tatsuya nodded and began listing names and case numbers down. It was a steady process of Ryouta glancing around at his papers, then at Tatsuya who said a little of this and a little of that about whichever child it was Ryouta had taken interest in. Once his husband was done, Daiki surrendered his own list of case numbers and names, though there were a lot more compared to Ryouta's. His husband had a more... precise and specific set of characteristics (he didn't want to say standards).

"You're favoring blondes." Tatsuya smiled as he reviewed the list.

Ryouta was smiling at him in surrpise and Daiki's cheeks flushed. "Really? I didn't notice."

"Sure you didn't." Taiga chuckled as he moved around the room. Their session was ending, probably, and he was sure Atsuhi wouldn't be in the mood to clean up after all the cooking he'd done. He got all the used plates together, Daiki not so helpfully pulling his plate farther away from the redhead when he reached for it, smirking playfully.

"Jackass." He muttered, low enough that the present four year old wouldn't hear but loud enough that Daiki did and he grinned even wider.

Sometimse having Taiga around just made things a lot less... serious. Teasing him was fun because he was such a good natured person and really expressive with his feelings (something Daiki was learning he envied- but like he'd ever admit that to anyone but Ryouta... maybe even not to Ryouta). Getting glared at by Tetsu wasn't though and as an apology, he helped clean up as well, putting th files together in neat stacks.

He was debating on whether or not he should bother Tatsuya about where to put them since the man looked deep into what he was writing in his notebook when Rima beat him to it. The ravenhead was sluggish, green stormy eyes half-lidded and chest rising and falling slowly.

"Daddy?" She called hesitantly.

Tatsuya stopped scribbling, his attention caught. A smile pulled on his lips. "I'm still not used to that."

"You will." Atsushi told him, in a manner Daiki could only call.. sage-like. That was so weird. The purple haired man jostled the little girl slightly. "Go on Rima-chin."

"I want to sleep." was what Rima told them. She reaached for Tatsuya. "Take me to bed?"

"What do we add to that?" Was what Tatsuya told her.

Rima looked like she was going to cry and Daiki was surprised when big fat tears welled in her eyes then fell down her cheeks. "Bed now!"

"All right, we'll work on saying please another time." Tatsuya abandoned his pen and notebook and got to his feet, pulling the little girl into his arms then he took her upstairs.

"You spoiled that kid." Taiga blurted out, his filter off.

Atsushi shrugged and sampled a macaroon that had gone cold. "I love her."

"There's no doubting that, Murasakibara-kun." Tetsu mumbled.

And there really wasn't. The room they were in alone was filled with shelves of DVDs that any little girl would kill to have. There was also a variety of toys scattered around the loft that Atsushi stayed in whenever he was in America, which apparently didn't happen often, but would be happening more often now.

"Muro-chin will make things better." Atsushi mumbled. "I did my best."

The talking continued, and at some point when they had only a few plates of cake left and the topic of conversation had turned to the upcoming wedding, Ryouta plopped himself into Daiki's lap, arms circled around his neck. "I got a text a while ago..."

"From who?"

"You're not gonna beleive this, but _Akashichii_."

Daiki's eyebrows went high up his face before he lowered them with a scowl. "Why am I not surprised?"

"All you Tutti Frutti's are in America now." Taiga cut in. "Hmm tutti frutti, maybe you should consider a Napoleon cake."

Atsushi crushed that thought with a firm, "No."

Daiki turned back to Ryouta. "What did his highness have to say?"

"Still can't believe he hasn't cut you to pieces for calling him that." Ryouta chuckled. "He called about the adoption. He was recommending an agency and I told him we already had one, but he said we might _need_ this one."

"Why?" Daiki asked. "What makes it so special?"

"Aside from the fact that Furihata-san works in it," Ryouta smirked. "I have no idea."

Tetsu took interest. "Furihata-kun? I think I know which agency you're referring to Ryouta-kun. But if Akashi-kun is suggesting you give it a look... I wonder if he knows anything."

At the moment Tatsuya had come down from the stairs. "What did I miss?"

"Apart from Murasakibara being an absolute color-hater, not much." Taiga grumbled.

"Too much color won't look good on a wedding cake." Atsushi grumbled right back.

Daiki watched them, amused though slightly sleepy. Honestly, Atsuhi's lethargy was contagious. Ryouta spoke from within his arms. "Have you heard of Heartsland, Tatsuya?"

"Yes, I have." Tatsuya seemed mildly surprised, from the way his visible eye had widened. "It's a Foster Care Agency. I was just about to talk to you about that before Rima pulled me away."

"So that's _why_." Tetsu said.

Ryouta shook his head, a smile on his face. "Akashichii... how does he do it?"

"May the world never know." Daiki reached over and grabbed the second to the last cookie. Contrary to popular belief, he was not going to take it had it been the only one there.

He did _not_ have a death wish.

* * *

Foster care turned out to be just the right thing for them. While it was similar to an adoption, it would serve more as training than anything. The only issue Daiki had with this was a certain blond, and his tendency to get attached just a little too quickly.

Ryouta was sitting in their backyard with Butterball, now heavy and bigger and just a little more golden in her seventh month in his lap. He was running his fingers through her coat, just spending time with her.

Daiki tossed Butterball's fetching toy, a miniature-basketball of course, into the air, laughing when her head followed it's every rise and fall. He threw it out the yard and the puppy was chasing after it then bringing it back in seconds.

"I feel cheated." Daiki said, when Butterball came back, happy, and had given the ball to Ryouta, and not him. "There is clearly favoritism here."

"You can't help that I'm more lovable." his husband teased. Ryouta threw the ball back to him and Butterball followed it straight into Daiki's arms.

Daiki laughed and ruffled Butterball's coat, picking her up slightly. "Who's a good girl? Who's a beautiful girl? You're mostly golden everywhere now. Sweet."

"Golden." Ryouta murmured softly. "Mabe I should have named her that."

"Very original." Daiki said, voice heavily coated with sarcasm.

In retaliation, Ryouta clicked his tongue. " _Marley!"_

"Way below the belt, baby." Daiki winced. He let go of Butterball and lightly chucked her ball back out into the yard. He looked back at Ryouta, who had a slightly far-off look in his eyes. With effort, Daiki crawled to him and laid his head down on the blond's lap.

Instinctively, automatically, his long fingers carted through his hair, massaging his scalp.

"What's on your mind?"

"Are you Facebook now?" Ryouta teased, and laughed when Daiki turned his head and bit his stomach. Or tried to, it was still pretty flat because he was still pretty fine at his age. His age which was thirty-two going thirty-three. He sighed. "Just... Just thinking that it's my birthday soon. I hope... I hope we find someone before it."

"Just think positive, Ryou." Daiki mumbled and he paused. " _What the hell."_

Ryouta stared down at him, his eyes comically wide. "I know, I'm usually the one being positive."

"We're messed up." Daiki sighed in defeat.

"Agreed." Ryouta nodded in mock seriousness before he burst out laughing. "God Daiki, you make me feel sixteen again."

"In more ways than one." Daiki teased, wagging his eyebrows.

Ryouta laughed some more and diverted his attention to Butterball, who had fetched her ball. He took a moment to throw it, with slightly more force in his energetic state, only to regret it when there was a soft grunt, and the sound of rubber meeting flesh.

"Uh oh." Ryouta pushed Daiki off gently and got to his feet. He walked out of the yard and his shocked, panicked voice was what got Daiki off of his butt, out of their yard, and into the street where his husband was fussing over a small platinum haired blonde.

Small in the sense that he could only be either eight or nine years old and his brown eyes were watery with unshed tears, his bottom lip trembling.

"How hard did you throw?" Daiki deadpanned.

It sent Ryouta into near hysterics. "Oh my god! ** _I hit a child_**!"

Said child... Or kid, seemed to find his husband's reactions funny, funny enough that his mind wasn't on the pain that had just been inflicted on him. Unintentionally, of course.

Daiki took charge of the situation, falling into the same role as that day he'd met Saki. It's been a while since he'd last thought of her. The little girl that had started this adventure of theirs in the first place.

"Hey there, wanna tell me your name?"

The blonde wasn't any taller than his chest, though Daiki was really tall, and his hair was slightly long, his fringe fell just above his eyes. Eyes that were so dark a brown they looked black. He clutched the arm that Ryouta's throw had hit, and it was either Daiki's imagination or it started to bruise.

"I'm not supposed to talk to strangers." He murmured, voice low.

Ryouta looked like he was on the verge of pulling his hair out, he tried to smile but it shook. "Smart boy. I... I'm sorry for hitting you with the ball. I was playing with my dog you see."

Cue Butterball being an adorable goofball chasing a ball, not her fetching ball, but Daiki's basketball in the yard.

A small smile crept its way on the boy's face. Daiki dubbed him Blondie. Blondie's grip on his arm loosened and he crouched down to be at level with him too. "I'm Daiki, and that there's, Ryouta."

There was a bout of silence and Blondie started at them with pursed lips, thoughtful. "You have weird names."

"We're Japanese." Ryouta chuckled.

Blondie nodded. "I have a weird name."

"Do you wanna share it with us?"

Blondie bit on his lip then shook his head, his fringe flew everywhere, messed up but adorable.

Daiki chuckled and got back to his full height then reached a hand out to ruffle the already messed up hair. "I can deal with that."

He looked around and when he saw no raging parent looking for Ryouta's blood for hitting their precious child, he asked, "You lost little man?"

Blondie's cheeks turned red.

"Do you know your street address or a phone number?" Ryouta asked immediately, worry coloring his voice. "Your parents must be looking for you everywhere."

Blondie looked at them with furrowed eyebrows, as if thinking if he should answer. Daiki noted the slow response. While it wasn't really slow because Blondie couldn't answer, it was more like he was thining of what to say. Cautious. Too cautious.

"Can you tell me how old you are?" Daiki asked.

Ryouta pressed his finger to his lips in a secretive manner. "He's gone into police officer mode now. We should tread carefully."

Blondie's eyse widened some more. "You're a police officer?"

"I was." Daiki nodded. "In Japan. I teach basketball now. Do you play?"

Blondie was back to biting his lip. A habit. He was quiet and took to worrying on his lip. A sign that he usually kept his thoughts to himself. Shy. He shook his head.

"That's too bad." Ryouta murmured.

Daiki took in more of Blondie's reactions as Ryouta spoke to him in a soft and soothing voice. When Ryouta told him that he played, Blondie looked like he was sorry that he didn't. And when Ryouta asked if he wanted ice cream, Blondie looked like he wanted to run away. Daiki was starting to get worried.

In the end his husband managed to convince Blondie to a treat in the house, where they would also ice the slight bruise he was getting, and maybe use the phone to call someone if Blondie was inclined to do so.

"Okay," Ryouta gestured to the house and Blondie hesitantly followed him.

Daiki watched them go, gave the street one last look because he couldn't believe no one had turned up looking for Blondie. A child his size, with those little legs and small feet couldn't have gotten far on his own.

When he got inside, he kept his thoughts mostly to himself and settled down to just watch. He guessed that maybe Blondie was just shy, and all the crazy thoughts going through his head were just side effects of watching too many detective shows (screw you NCIS) and he was just looking too much into Blondie's quietness.

After a moment though he managed to appreciate the image that Ryouta and Blondie made in the kitchen, his kitchen. They got the ice cream out of the fridge easily enough, but then Ryouta couldn't find the scoop, and Daiki had to pull it out for him. Then Ryouta had the idea to make a milkshake, and Blondie's eyes lit up like nobody's business (or Tetsu whichever you prefer) that he couldn't say no.

He pulled out the blender and got to work to making both blonds happy, by adding what he had in his kitchen (which wasn't much since they hadn't gone grocery shopping just yet) but Blondie wasn't picky, and Ryouta was smiling around his straw as they drank their shakes and slowly, Blondie started thawing.

It was an amazing transition. One second he was gripping his too tall glass so tight, the next Ryouta had the TV on and they were watching Mother Gothel take Rapunzel away. He seemed more relaxed, more calm. He even rolled his eyes at Eugene's smolder!

And Daiki was completely blown over at how his husband had such an effect on Blondie.

It didn't take long for him to remember that this child was in all technicallities, a missing child. He brought up the issue of a phone number again and did not expect at all the reply that he got.

"I'm sorry... for being such a bother to you." His small voice whispered.

"You're not a bother at all!" Ryouta assured him, but he glanced at Daiki with a look that meant he wasn't alone when he thought that there was something wrong. "We just don't want anyone to worry. You've been gone for some time now."

Blondie was quiet. "I don't think anyone would notice."

"I'm sure they have." Ryouta promised.

"No... No they haven't. They won't." Blondie shook his head firmly. "Nobody noticed when I left yesterday. Nobody's going to notice today."

That was it. Daiki couldn't help it. "You _left_?"

"That doesn't sound very nice." Ryouta murmured.

Blondie looked guilty. "But Hiro wouldn't wake up when I tried! I just... I was hoping he could come with me to school, but it got too late again, and I haven't gone to school in a while now."

"Hiro?" Daiki repeated. "Is he your... dad?"

"Brother." Blondie said. "He's been sleeping a lot lately. Just, he's sad. And if sleeping makes him happy, then that's okay. I just... wanted to go to school."

"How old are you Blondie?" Daiki asked again. Ryouta's eyes glimmered at the nickname and he mouthed it back to him. Daiki ignored him for the time being. "Do you know how old Hiro is?"

Blondie nodded. "I'm ten and Hiro's nineteen."

"Where's Mommy and Daddy?" Daiki asked.

"They're gone." Blondie's lip trembled. "Dad was never really around, and Mom left two weeks ago."

"Left." Daiki repeated. He was starting to hate that word.

Ryouta reached out and touched his arm. "Daiki, I think we should call Testuchii."

And that got an almost violent reaction. Blondie's eyes widened and his voice rose past the quiet level he'd been talking in. "No! Don't call anyone! Hiro says they'll take me away if we do!"

Daiki and Ryouta exchanged another look. His husband left the kitchen, despite Blondie looking like he was about to cry a river. Daiki fixed him with a semi-serious stare. "Okay, now we're going to have a talk Blondie."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** You know, I was looking forward to writing about a shy little boy coming from this agency that Himuro and Kuroko work with but no. My muse is not amused. She has pushed the shy and sweet little boy to becoming AoKise's second kid and has squirmed this kid into the story and I had nothing to do with it!
> 
> He adds a whole lot of drama with him, so much that I had to cut the chapter in half, because I don't want this chapter to be ridiculously long while the others are short (although since I'm typing on Polaris Office I have no idea how long the chapters are individually. I should look at that). 
> 
> The next part will hopefully wrap up what happens to Blondie, because with Kise's nature, he's not going to let this go and even Aomine's inner cop won't let him rest.
> 
> Their adoption is going to get pushed back because of this. 
> 
> ~~Or is it? ;)~~
> 
> Nique


	6. Step Six: Receiving An Adoptive Placement

**Part Six**

If there was one thing Ryouta understood, it was his emotions. The only time he wasn't in control of himself was when he was overwhelmed. However he was perfectly aware that when he felt like singing, he was going to sing. When he felt like yelling, he was going to yell. And when he felt like crying out of frustration, you better believe he was going to let go of the flipping Nile if it means he'd be able to go back to a semblance of calm.

He could not be in that room. He didn't understand how Tetsuya could just sit there and listen to a self-righteous asshole and his wife defend themselves for neglect and abandonment.

The kid had turned into a little ball of emotions once Daiki made it a point to him that what was going on was serious, and without reciting the laws regarding children (which were the same in any country... probably), his husband got a name and a number and the small bit of information to call a mister 'Kouki'.

The name had sounded familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He was all ready to bang his head on the wall when Tetsuya reminded him that he did know who 'Kouki' was and he had his number.

Furihata was in the room with them. That made three adults, two idiots, and a kid. A ten year old kid who's been skipping school, walking through neighborhoods, and by the grace of some higher power, was still relatively safe and unharmed if not mentally shaken.

The door to the room opened briefly and Ryouta nursed the cup of coffee he'd been holding for an hour now. Or was it longer? He didn't even know anymore.

The kid, or better known as Hayate, walked up to him, his brown eyes were red-rimmed and puffy and his hair was just horrible. Ryouta tried to smile and succeeded somewhat.

"Hey bud. How are you?"

"Fine." Hayate said, voice low and strained.

"We're sorry about all this." Ryouta pat the vacant seat on the sofa beside him and when Hayate made no move to sit, he worried on his bottom lip. "You must be overwhelmed."

"I wouldn't be if you just minded your own business."

Ryouta's eyes sharpened into a glare. "Hey there."

Hayate had the decency to look ashamed. "It's the truth."

"Oh baby, it's not all of it." Ryouta patted the space again and smiled a little more truly when the smaller blond took it. "It's... It's different when adult things come to play."

"Adults make everything complicated." Hayate grumbled rubbing at his nose.

"Ain't that the sad truth." Ryouta blew on his bangs.

"Why'd you go out?" Hayate asked, curious. "You said you wanted to talk to them but you stayed out of the room. Daiki looks so mad."

"I'm sure he does." Ryouta rubbed a hand over his face and ditched his coffee. "I don't think I could stay in that room and not... do something stupid to your aunt and uncle."  

"My brother does stupid things all the time." Hayate rambled.

Ryouta nodded and thought vehemently, 'Yeah, like leave you to two dickwads who know next to nothing about being selfless and when you come back to him he doesn't even notice.'

Granted, the 'brother' was only nineteen. If they were somewhere like- like the Philippines! He wouldn't even be considered an adult yet. And both boys had just lost their mom.

"I wanna..." Hayate hesitated, voice trailing. He seemed to be steeling himself, waiting for a rejection.

Ryouta said nothing and waited expectantly.

"... I wanna talk... about it." Hayate mumbled. "If you want to listen I mean."

"That would be wonderful." Ryouta ruffled his hair. "It'll help me understand better. I hate it when I don't understand."

"Me too." Hayate smiled softly. Then he started talking, started explaining how his dad had walked out on them when he was three and his mom raised them, she raised them right.With what little she had, what little she could offer, they had a roof over their heads and food on their plates. He went to school, his brother had a scholarship.

They were doing just fine. Until people started poking their noses in what was clearly not their business.

Ryouta listened to Hayate speak, enthralled by how much emotion he possessed and expressed. When he first met Hayate that afternoon, he had called him sweet, shy, maybe a little soft-spoken and the boy was all that but he was also curious, passionately, very quick to react and not embarrassed about it.

The older blond also fought the building rage inside of him when Hayate explained how his mother thought other people could do better, could give them a better life. So she left, sent papers to the social workers that gave them all legislation to give her children better lives.

Hiro was well and above the age of eighteen so they technically had no say in what they were going to do with him, but Hayate was only ten.

"It's only been two weeks." Hayate said. "They have children of their own. Two girls. They aren't very nice to me."

"I bet." Ryouta was starting to hate that family. "Do you know where your mom is Hayate?"

Hayate yawned around his words. "No idea."

Ryouta cursed in his mind, partly because there went the idea of talking to the woman and it was getting late. He glanced at the closed door and wondered if he was lucky to not be there. He looked at Hayate. "How about we get some food? I'm sure the people inside are hungry."

"I like food." Hayate mused.

"Okay." Ryouta chuckled, standing up. He wrapped an arm around Hayate's shoulders, vaguely noticing that the boy didn't mind. "You're a little short for a ten year old."

"Mom says it's my dad's fault." Hayate huffed. "He's Japanese. It's where the weird name comes from."

"But you look so American." Ryouta said.

Hayate laughed at his gob smacked expression and they continued this light topic of conversation. It was a great break from all the negativity Ryouta had mentally and physically.

They were about to turn a corner when he bumped into a familiar face. "Ryouta."

"Akashichii." The blond smiled tiredly at his old friend.

Hayate seemed to know him. "Hey Mr. Sei."

"Hello Hayate." Seijuro had a number of bags with him. It was odd seeing such a... genuinely pleasant Seijuro. "Where are you off to?"

"Grub." Hayate responded, voice animated. He clearly liked and was comfortable with the redhead.

Ryouta wondered how that happened then he remembered. Furihata Kouki. That man worked wonders alright.

"How about you help me feed the people in that room." Seijuro lessened his burden by passing them to Hayate, who took a number of bags in his arms and nodded.

Ryouta watched him walk back to the room, losing sight of him once he turned the corner.

Seijuro addressed him warmly. "How are you?"

"Good." Ryouta responded automatically. He relieved Seijuro of a few more bags. "Not so good. Angry. Tired."

"That's a lot of things." Seijuro began walking. Ryouta followed him.

"Well a lot of things have happened. I didn't even know you were in America."

"Business is booming." Seijuro explained. "And I'm needed here."

"Furihata-san?" Ryouta asked.

"Yes." Seijuro answered. No hesitation, no circles. "Kouki and I have been seeing each other for a while now. I've been courting him since we got out of high school. He's quite dense."

"Seems like it." Ryouta chuckled. He had a suspicious feeling as he walked beside Seijuro. He wondered if he should tempt fate by asking. "Neh, Akashichii? Do you and Furihata-san work on Hayate's case?"

"Yes."

"And knowing you and seeing how attached you've gotten..." Ryouta licked his lips. "You've got people trailing Hayate?"

"That's right." Ryouta stopped at the door, it was open now and he saw Hayate speaking to Daiki and avoiding his aunt and uncle's gaze. The blond fought the urge to just yell at them and instead turned to Seijuro. "Did you lead him to our street?"

"No. He did that all on his own." Seijuro glanced at him, a small serious smirk on his lips. "I like that kid Ryouta, and I'm pretty sure both you and your husband has gotten attached to him."

Ruptura was left at the doorway, feeling oddly insulted that he'd been played into Seijuro's plans yet again.

But he looked into that room and watched as his husband ate fries with Hayate and he couldn't really be bothered to feel so mad about Seijuro and his meddling. Perhaps he'd even done him a favor. 

* * *

Ryouta got to know Furihata, who was now Kouki to him, once they started the process of extracting Hayate from his current foster family.

Even if his aunt and uncle were his blood relatives, they still hadn't been legally appointed by the state as his adoptive parents.

Seijuro was pulling a lot of strings but not before they all sat in a room, Hayate nervously clenching and unclenching his hands, and the redhead asked.

"You know about the foster care system right Hayate?"

The blond nodded. "And we know you're not happy where you are right now."

He nodded again and Ryouta could feel his heart breaking in his chest.

"How would you like to be relocated to a new family?"

Hayate said nothing, but his eyes glanced from Ryouta and Daiki to Seijuro and Kouki.

"They're very nice people, Hayate. One doesn't work, he just stays at home but that might change soon. The other's a basketball coach, very good with kids. They've got a dog, she's very nice. Doesn't bark too much which I find ridiculous because she's a dog."

Hayate was grinning. "That is ridiculous."

"I'm glad we agree." Seijuro seemed to genuinely like conversing with Hayate. He started the next sentence slowly. "You know them very well Hayate. You've been spending time with them."

Ryouta reached a hand out and gripped Daiki's tightly. He smiled a shaky smile when Hayate's gaze fell on them.

"You're... You want to be my new foster family?" He croaked.

"If that's what you want." Daiki answered.

"We're hoping to adopt you when the six month observation period passes." Ryouta added, a grin on his face so big it almost hurt. "But only, only if that's what you want."

Hayate looked from them to Seijuro. "I get a say in this?"

"Absolutely." The redhead nodded.

Hayate worried in his lip and that moment Ryouta could feel everything. He felt nervous, he felt tense, he felt happy, he felt hopeful.

The one month he's spent with Hayate, visiting him at the agency's home, making sure he was all right, had made him set his heart.

He wanted this boy. He wanted him in his life. He wanted to take care of him and he wanted to love him and give him a good life.

Ryouta glanced at Daiki who was looking at Hayate, face neutral but excitement and nerves evident on the locked set of his jaw. They had had an argument about two weeks ago. Ryouta didn't want to call it an argument but he had cried, and Daiki had punched a wall because the topic of their conversation was too heavy for light conversation.

"This wasn't what we talked about. I thought we both wanted a three year old- a two year old even?" Daiki paced their living room. "Why are you changing the plan? We had a good plan Ryouta."

Ryouta had gotten equally pissed. He would not stand his feelings being stomped on, not even by his husband. "Fuck you Daiki. Do you think I wanted to just randomly throw a ball, hit that kid, learn his life story, and up and decided oh I don't want you to hurt anymore let me take you away from all these bad people?! No! Heaven forbid I'd find another little boy who's in the same state as Hayate! I will not let this go on- not when I can do something about it."

"What happened to being a part of his life? What happened to raising him?"

"We're doing just that and more!" Ryouta huffed. "Do you see how impulsive and how cautious he can be at the same time? Hayate is a vulnerable and impressionable child Daiki and I will not leave him hanging like this!"

"But this is a lot more complicated than just adopting someone from the agency or even fostering!" Daiki retaliated. "Ryouta this will take a court case. There are various laws and rights violated right here and it gets even more complicated because Hayate's mother signed all her consent to the agency. The agency has a policy to turn to the closest blood relatives-."

"Who are complete and utter assholes!" Ryouta cut in. "Daiki I appreciate seeing the fruit of your labor from studying in the Academy but I do not need you to tell me how complicated and fucked up all this shit is."

Daiki squared his jaw, backed in a corner. "Be that as it may-."

"Don't. I don't need this. I do not fucking need this." Ryouta felt the tell tale prickling feeling in the back of his eyes and he cried in frustration. "Wh-What I need from you right now, is to understand that it's only been two weeks since I've met that boy and he's already won me over. H-He has so much life. And he's hurting too much, too fast for someone so young. I w-won't turn my cheek and let h-him get sucked back into t-the system when he can have a loving home, and family here with us! I can't, and I won't, and I just-!"

Ryouta broke into a sobbing mess in Daiki's arms, which had wrapped around him in the middle of his tirade. His shoulders heaved as he just cried all that frustration. It sounded stupid, but this was the first time they'd actually sat down and talked about their current situation with Hayate, and what they were going to do about it. Ryouta felt like he was going to throw up from all the crying he was doing and Daiki pressed a kiss to his forehead, apologetic, sincere.

"I get what you're saying. He's won me too, I just... Ryouta I don't want you to get hurt. His uncle and aunt could still win that case-."

"Don't the courts favor the child?"

"Yeah, usually. But this is completely out of our hands. Even if the court does favor Hayate, Akashi could have already picked a family for him. His brother could magicallu pull his shit together and take responsibility of him. Ryou, his mother could come back and want to stay and her kids again."

"She can't d-do that." Ryouta choked, tears still falling. "She can't, r-right?" 

"She gave them up, yeah, but she can still have them back if they want her. Again, it's the kid's opinion that matters. And you've listened to Hayate talk about his mom. He adores her." Daiki began massaging his back, loosening tense muscles.

Ryouta tried to relax, an inevitable result as he thought back to the two weeks they've spent with Hayate. The little blond had been completely taken with them, further backing his statement that Hayate was an impressionable ten year old. Ryouta read his file from the agency, something Kouki had slipped him when he thought no one was looking, but in the end he hadn't really needed it.

Hayate liked to talk, about himself not so much but once prompted, comfortable and with a movie playing (preferably Disney even if he was ten) he rattled like a chatterbox. Ryouta loved it and he loved how Daiki and he talked together. He loved how Hayate expressed his dislike of anything with cheese on it and Daiki mourned the fact that Hayate would never appreciate a good old fashioned pizza. Or a grilled cheese sandwich. Or a cheesecake Atsushi swore though that he'd get Hayate to take a bite of one that he'd make and he'd love it). Daiki grumbled to Ryouta when all three of them were on the couch and Hayate was dozing about why he couldn't be a normal kid and hate vegetables (because Hayate liked the cucumber-chicken sandwiches that Ryouta had requested for lunch).

Ryouta just laughed Daiki off and pressed a kiss to Hayate's forehead and it felt right.

It all felt right.

Presently, Daiki said something that made his stomach churn and he felt like he was going to throw up his dinner. "What if he doesn't want us?"

Ryouta made a sound and shook his head mentally knocking on wood. "I don't e-even want to think about that."

"But baby we **have** to think about that." Daiki lovingly kissed his forehead, comforting. "We have to think about that and all the other billion things that could go wrong."

There was silence apart from Ryouta's sniffles.

"I still want him. I want him in my arms. I want him in our house. He's been coming over enough that he could live here. And I want him to Daiki. I want him to choose what color his room's walls will be, and what kind of bed he wants and the covers! He might like cotton. I like cotton..." Ryouta rambled, his mind made up. He squirmed out of Daiki's arms and looked at him. His husband had a tired air around him but he was smiling.

"I want him too." Daiki gave him a look. "And I'm not just saying that. You're not the only one who gets attached too fast. I look at him and I think of you. Because you have the same colored eyes, vibrant and expressive. You have blond hair, but his looks like the sun can't ever reach him. I want him too Ryouta. Believe me when I say that I want him too."

Ryouta made another noise, this one happier as he curled back into Daiki's arms. He pressed his nose into his husband's neck and whispered softly, "I love you Aomine Daiki. I'm the luckiest man on earth."

"I love you too." Daiki whispered back and they laid there. Tired. Spent.

From everything that's been happening and the fight- they hadn't and a fight like that since Butterball's previous owner had a new litter and Ryouta wanted to keep all of them and Daiki just had to put his foot down because they couldn't take care of five puppies with just the two of them.

Daiki broke the silence after a while. "I'll call Akashi in the morning. We also have the rehearsal dinner for Midorima's wedding."

"I have a feeling Akashichii already knows what we want." Ryouta grumbled. "We also have tux fittings. You looked good in that suit Kazunari picked."

"He based it on our wedding." Daiki answered. 

"Yeah." Ryouta trailed off. He pressed his lips to Daiki's shoulder."I haven't forgotten you know."

"What?"

"Happy Anniversary baby." Ryouta pressed a full kiss to his lips. "Eighteen years going strong and twelve years with a ring on it."

"Crap."

"You forgot didn't you?" Ryouta chuckled. "That's good. You shouldn't be so perfect."

" 'm far from perfect." Daiki deadpanned.

"Not to me." Ryouta snuggled back into his arms, content to just lie there.

Daiki however took that as invitation and they had hot, sweaty, passionate sex that lead to breathless "I love yous" and "thank you so much for being in my life" and a bajillion other sweet nothings.

The next day, as promised, Daiki called Seijuro and the redhead informed them everything was in order. Give him a week and they could integrate Hayate into their daily lives.

It took two weeks because the uncle was a prideful little shit that refused to admit he was in the wrong, even though when one seemingly  _forgot_ that he had a nephew who was nowhere to be found and didn't bother to look for him or call the police screamed neglect, he still had the audacity to stand up with his thick face and plead innocent. The aunt was smarter, apologizing to Hiro and Hayate. She was at least, a decent human being. 

But now, despite all that, here they were. Ryouta gripped Daiki's hand, but let go when Hayate stood up, his legs shook and he all, but stumbled gracelessly straight into Ryouta's arms.Ryouta wrapped them around him, pulling him close, hugging him. He pressed a kiss to that blond head as the ten year old buried his face into Ryouta's chest.

He said something that was muffled by Ryouta's shirt. "What was that little man?" 

"Can I brag about how awesome my parents are?" He mumbled quietly, pulling back and eering at them from Ryouta's chest.

Daiki laughed and wrapped his arms around both Hayate and Ryouta, kissing his head too. "As much as you want Blondie. Don't forget that we were both some of Japan's finest basketball players and this guy over here has an open contract waiting for him when he's ready."

Even with the compliments, at that moment, Ryouta felt warm. He felt so happy he thought he could burst into song.

"It might sound crazy what I'm about to say~"

"He's singing." Hayate mumbled. 

"Sunshine, he's here you can take a break~" 

Daiki chuckled. "He does that sometimes. Sorry Blondie but you're stuck with two really weird dads."

"I'm a hot air balloon that could go to space~"

"That's okay." Hayate grinned. "I like weird. I'm weird too."

"With the air, like I don't care baby by the way~"

Ryouta kept singing. 

"Because I'm happy~!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** There you have it folks. They have their kid squee~ The seventh step is actually making the adoption legal and official, it's the part where Hayate's birth certificate would change. 
> 
> The next chapter's gonna be the last- no more epilogue. That challenge went by really quickly lol 
> 
> I know it seems kinda of rushed, how Kise and Aomine just decided Hayate was the one. There was just that gut feeling you know. 
> 
> From the moment Kise met Hayate (which was in Aomine's POV) he felt it and while Aomine argued with Hayate's aunt and uncle (which was in Kise's POV) he felt everything just click. 
> 
> That's how it's supposed to feel right? No logical deductions needed, just that feeling. I gave them a month with Hayate before Akashi told him about the transfer. And I tried to express how much Hayate had grown attached to them too. 
> 
> I might write a spin off with Hayate's back story more detailed and how he felt when he got involved with Akashi and Furihata then Aomine and Kise. 
> 
> Yes I think this will turn into a series. What do you think? Would you read the spin offs if I did write them? 
> 
> Nique


	7. Part Seven: Legalizing An Adoption

**Part Seven**

Daiki resisted the urge to pull at his tie lest he get another scolding from his dear husband about looking good in the wedding pictures. "Ryouta, please. Aomine Daiki  _always_ looked good." at which the blond sent him an up and down look, a chilling stare, and a promise for later that wouldn't be fulfilled if he didn't behave. Thirty-four years old and Ryouta still had him hook, line, and sinker. He could imagine a younger version of himself calling him a wimp. But hey, love did stupid things to how you viewed the world.  _  
_

Even how you viewed children.

"Rima, I don't think Kazunari or Shintarou want their sweets on the floor." Tatsuya was reprimanding his daughter, and managed to look like straight out of a wedding advertisement while doing it. Honestly, he and Ryouta could floor America's Next Top Model and the fans would go wild. The little blonde looked absolutely angelic with the same face partnered with a powder green dress that poofed in a ball gown style with orange ribbons. 

Over time, Tatsuya managed to curb Rima's spoiled and selfish tendencies. He also managed to teach her what 'No' meant and that sometimes it only worked when grown ups used it. She would often turn big eyes at Atsushi, but Tatsuya had also managed to instill in him the ability to not fall for those eyes and that pout (both looks he could replicate perfectly- or was he the original?).

Atsushi was unloading trays upon trays of his heavenly creations in a never ending cycle to and from his truck. Daiki was tempted to swipe one, but upon seeing Atsushi's own self control, he had to respect that. Besides, according to Ryouta, Kazunari wanted the ceremony short and to the point. They could spend their time on the party and reception. He really, really knew why he liked Kazunari now. Besides, being a friend to him all these years.

Taiga was lugging stuff around too, setting up silver dishes and portable fires to keep them warm. The two had truly gone all out. Daiki glanced at Tetsu, who was currently on the phone, talking to whoever it was they had gotten to baby sit the new pups. Sangou had his first litter, courtesy of a friend, and the owner let Tetsu keep two of them, both boys who he named Yongou and Gogou. Or at least he tried, Taiga immediately vetoed the latter and named him Cooper. 

Hayate had been present when the puppies were delivered, and he stared at the dark furred puppies with a contemplative look. "He doesn't look like a Cooper. He looks like a Nathan."

Taiga, being an indulgent uncle, named the other puppy Nathan. Tetsu had looked put out that the tradition of naming them after Nigou was suddenly lost. There had been a major fight where Taiga had to camp out in their guest bedroom, and Tetsu spoke to no one except Kouki and probably Tatsuya who reached out to him. It was maybe three days later before Taiga, with the help of Ryouta, thought of a way to once again worm his way into Tetsu's good graces.

Showing up with a Chowchow puppy, who he named Yuiitsu, was too much for Tetsu and Taiga moved back in (not that he really moved out) and the rest was history. 

Daiki wasn't sure about what happened to Megumi, but he had heard that Seijurou and Kouki were looking into it. Maybe she would be putting it up for adoption. If Daiki wanted to give his opinion, he'd rather Shintarou take it in instead. That way he or she would still be in the family. It complicated life just a little less. 

And them? 

Ryouta was back in the business, only he wasn't doing anything international. Even at thirty-four, he could still pass as  _twenty-four_ since he'd weathered the years well. HIs husband had been... for the past five years that they'd spent in America, uprooting themselves from Japan, in hopes of starting a family here. Ryouta had always seemed distant from him. It was just that, time kept moving so quickly he barely noticed it, they barely noticed it.

But now, now he could remember every day. Because every day was special. Not that days with Ryouta weren't special, it's just. For four years all they had in mind was to be able to adopt. To have a child and to build their lives around him or her. They couldn't focus on the now, they had to think of the future.

Daiki watched Hayate in his posh looking suit, one hand moving to tug at his tie (so Daiki wasn't alone in his torture) as he let Rima lead him around. Blondie had just, he'd just fit in. He'd just clicked. It was as if there was a space that they hadn't known was there and Hayate just filled it in like the perfect missing piece. He attended school, the school that Daiki taught in, then when he was done he'd come home to Ryouta and they would mess his kitchen up.

He'd had to replace the microwave three times in six months and wasn't that just depressing. 

Tetsu loved it when Hayate was around, he said it made Taiga more comfortable. More... involved, whatever that meant. Tatsuya had a willing (or unwilling?) babysitter in Hayate when he and Atsushi were too busy and Atsushi, who generally ignored the world, saw Hayate as a challenge. He refused to believe that anyone could dislike his cheesecakes. He would have Hayate eat one if it was the last thing he did. 

And Seijuro and Kouki, Hayate had already been a part of their lives way before he became a part of Daiki and Ryouta's. 

Daiki had wondered why the redhead hadn't adopted Blondie himself. He got a vague answer about how it wasn't just him calling the shots anymore and he roughly translated that as Seijuro acknowledging Kouki and his role in the relationship, their relationship. Daiki supposed it was a good thing that Seijuro was being considerate and not... controlling. 

Ryouta was a mess, a gorgeous mess, when he came out of the room where Kazunari was supposed to be. He looked like he'd just either finished crying or laughing so hard that tears came to his eyes as he approached Daiki, who opened his arms for them. 

His husband settled in his lap and he buried his face into Daiki's neck. "He's scared shitless in there."

"Kazunari? No way." Daiki chuckled.

"I'm almost afraid this thing won't push through." Ryouta mumbled. "Has anyone checked on Midorimachii? I don't want him getting cold feet and leaving Kazunarichii at the altar." 

"He won't run." Daiki answered confidently.

"And you know this how?" Ryouta raised his head and stared at him, a skeptical brow arched in question.

Daiki debated on whetehr or not to make an excuse or go with the truth. Over the years, Ryouta had let him get away with his half-lies. He felt his cheeks flush slightly. "He knows what he wanted Ryouta. He knows that he wants this, to spend his life with Kazunari. He's been wanting to do it for nearly twenty years now." 

"You're serious?" Ryouta gaped. "Then why didn't he propose?!"

"That I can't say." Daiki smirked when Ryouta immediately pouted. He pressed a lips to those lips. 

"How do you know this?" Ryouta asked, apparently in wonder.

Daiki rubbed the back of his head. "Midorima was the one guarding my door when it was our wedding."

"You guys had a heart to heart conversation." Ryouta's eyes took a gleam. "I wish I could have seen that."

"Would have been bad luck." Daiki grumbled.  

Ryouta chuckled. "I suppose. Where's Hayate?"

"Here somewhere." Daiki looked around. "He has Rima with him." 

"The ceremony's about to start. Midorimachii has all these doctor friends with him, I don't want Hayate to get out of place." Ryouta looked around too. The altar was in the room next to where they were and if they wanted things to go smoothly, they should be migrating to the ceremonial room now.

Daiki looked around and hwhen he couldn't see his son,  _his son_ , he was about to ask Ryouta to stand so he could look outside. His husband grew heavier in his lap though, almost as if he was deflating before he went stock still. 

"Baby?" Daiki tapped his thigh.

"I think I found him." 

Daiki turned his head and followed Ryouta's lone of sight. He was staring open mouthed out the wFrench bay windows where he did see his son, an oddly complacent Rima in his arms talking to... 

"Ryouta is Hayate gay?" 

"I have no idea." Ryouta said. "We've never talked about it, but he wasn't bothered by us so I'm sure he wouldn't mind..."

"Let's say he's bi." Daiki hummed as he tried to keep his voice casual. His eyes however noticed the way Hayate's cheeks flushed as he talked to the white haired boy outside. He had a carefree smile, dressed to the nines in a tux that was definitely worth a pretty penny. "I wan't that kid away from my son."

Ryouta burst into laughter. "Oh my god, Daiki you're acting..."

"Like an over protective dog over her pups."  Tetsu volunteered as he walked pat them. 

 "I was thinking more of the terms  _father_ and  _overprotective_." Ryouta chuckled. "But the concept is more or less the same." 

Daiki was more than a little aware that he was being teased by his husband, however he couldn't care less. His attention was riveted by his son and whoever it was that was talking to him. 

"Where's Akashi?" 

"Running a little late." Ryouta seemed to doubt his own words. "I think Kouki's feeling sick or something." 

"Uh huh." Daiki nodded absently. "I need a name."

"I can't give you one." Ryouta chuckled. "I think he's one of Midorimachii's colleagues' son." 

"Doctor's son." Daiki summed. "They're usually big headed because they're raised by cold know it all's."

"Way to generalize a stereotype Daiki." Ryouta laughed. 

Daiki was about to get a closer look because the kid's face looked a little familiar when he was suddenly staring into golden brown eyes that he knew so well. Ryouta was gripping his face in both his hands, forcing him to look. "Leave him alone. They're just kids." 

"It feels weird." Daiki grumbled. "No wonder Kasamatsu always hovered when we were together." 

"That's because you know how it feels to be in their position. And you and I were diffferet. We were sixteen, senpai had reasons to worry." Ryouta chuckled, looping his arms around Daiki's shoulders. "He'll be just fin-."

Daiki paused when Ryouta's voice broke. "You were saying?"

"Get our son." Ryouta snapped, voice cold.

"Ryou?" Daiki looked at his husband.

"I found out who the kid's father is." 

"Who?" Daiki felt his face moving again, this time to face the windows instead of away. His blood turned cold. "Oh no."

Suddenly the doors to the room burst open and Shintarou was glaring at them with full force. "The ceremony is starting and you aren't there! Ryouta I understand your penchant for being fashionably late but can you not do that today?!" 

Daiki turned back, equally enraged, eyes flashing reminiscent of entering the Zone. His voice was cold as he jerked his head towards the bay windows. "What's Haizaki doing here huh? Aside from his son chatting up mine?"

_**Dun dun dun.Daiki was entering a Zone, but it had nothing to do with basketball; Overprotective father Level One.** _

This was new.  

"Can we talk about this later," Shintarou asked, cutting through the angry haze in Daiki's mind. "We have a wedding going on, my wedding. I would appreciate it if you got your butts up and into that room."

"He's right." Ryouta tugged on Daiki's arm and gave a small chuckle. "You can pull a Murasakibara after the wedding Daiki. Come on baby, Midorimachii's waiting. Remember the heart to heart?" 

Daiki grunted and followed his husband into the room where the ceremony would take place. Shinatrou was back to standing at the altar, and Kazunari would enter from a small door to the left. He wouldn't walk up the aisle because he was a) not a bride and b) he was lazy. He wanted to get the ceremony over and done with so he could call Shintarou his and he'd have the ring to prove it. 

The ceremony was, as described, short and sweet. Everyone clapped for the happily married couple. Everyone got up to have their pictures taken while they were all presentable and sober. Ryouta was in the middle of everything, Kazunari dragging him everywhere.

Daiki was keeping to himself, arms crossed over his chest, mood still dark. He had his eyes trainde on Hayate who was still talking to Haizaki's son. It had to be Hazaiki's son. He looked like him, minus the almost silver quality of his qyes. Haizaki's eyes were grey but they were a matte kind of grey. The boy's eyes sparkled likea silver mirror.

"Daiki!" the sound of Ryouta's voice, high pitched and loud, broke his concentration. He turned just in time for the blond to throw himself into his arms. Daiki caught him, but couldn't keep them balanced, his back meeting the floor in an intimate smack. "I know why Akashichii was late! It's here! It's official!" 

Daiki winced, forcing his eyes open where they'd closed from the fall. He was slightly blinded by the overhead light. Once he regainde his bearings, he could see the piece of paper in Ryouta's hand. His eyes widened, grumpy mood forgotten. "Is that?"

Another voice cut in."Is that my birth certificate?!"

Ryouta turned to his son. "Yeah little man! It's official!"

Hayate walked towards them with shaky legs. "C-Can I see?"

"Course!" Ryouta beckoned him forward and Hayate did. He stood beside Ryouta, who was kneeling on the ground, straddling Daiki who was still on the floor. 

"Your names are here." Hayate whispered, his eyes turning glassy. 

"They sure are." Ryouta pulled his son into a hug and Daiki found the strength to sit up. He waited, waited for his turn. Hayate threw himself into his arms once Ryouta let him go and Daiki kept his grip on him strong and tight. He couldn't even think of letting go.

"Do I call you dad now?" Hayate ducked his head when he'd asked, as if he couldn't believe he'd said such a thing. 

Daiki grinned and pressed a kiss to his son's forehead. "You can call me Mama if you want Blondie." 

And then he remembered that they weren't alone in the room, Taiga's voice echoing loudly. "Did anybody else hear that?!" 

"Got it recorded." Tetsu nodded. 

Ryouta laughed loudly and Hayate was back to hugging him, and Daiki didn't care if he was being embarrassed right now. He wrapped his arms around the two most important people in the world and they hugged back just as tight, just as strong, and he could feel just how much they didn't want to let go. 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **AN:** Looks like we're at the end of this story you guys! And it took us... a week? One chapter per day... I seriously have nothing to do at the moment but hey that's slightly a good thing. Gives me time to work on this. 
> 
> Our AoKise have their baby and their happy ending. 
> 
> Now onto the other dorks! Bwahahaha.
> 
> I'm thinking of writing KagaKuro's spin off first, followed by HimaMuro, MidoTaka, AkaFuri, then mayhaps ImaKasa. I don't exactly have a lot of stuff to write for these guys but did I mention that Seven Steps was originally going to be a one-shot? 
> 
> I didn't expect that I would write so much for each step. We're at more or less 20k. That's. That's a lot of words, ahahaha!
> 
> Anyways, thank you to everyone who stuck around, read, commented, and left a kudos! Everything was highly appreciated! 
> 
> I'll sign off now~! 
> 
> Till next time :D 
> 
>  
> 
> **Nique**


End file.
